No, I’m not talking about our cat, or the Dick Tracy character, or the chandelier cleaner. I’m talking about holiday sparkle lights! Also known as twinkle lights, or fairy lights if you hail from the UK. Or, I suppose, Christmas lights.
I don’t refer to them as Christmas lights because I keep mine up year round. I use them in lieu of a porch light. They are cheerful and colorful and keep the dark at bay in a very pleasant way.
What is the purpose of lights? A rhetorical question, yes, but with a point. The purpose of lights is to dispel the dark. Why do we put up colorful, sparkly lights in the depths of winter? To remind ourselves that the light will return and the dark will diminish. That is the source of many ancient winter traditions that persist to the present day under the guise of religion.
I used to take the lights down at the end of the holiday season, but then I kept stretching the season further and further until it snapped. I always left them up until the spring equinox. It just felt sacrilegious and a little like tempting fate to take them down too soon. And, after a while I thought, well, why am I taking them down at all? They are pretty and they make me happy, so I’m leaving them up!
Several years ago Lisa’s friend Cindy was visiting. I think it must have been in February or early March. We picked her up from the airport in the evening and as we rounded the corner onto our street, she piped up, laughing, and said, “There’s someone who can’t let go of the season!” We grinned as pulled into the driveway. She was embarrassed but I reassured her that almost everyone found my attitude about lights irritating.
As December unfurls more lights are coming on all over the neighborhood. My across the street neighbor put his up on Thanksgiving weekend – yay Mr Denson! House by house the street grows brighter and more cheerful as the days grow shorter and darker.
I’ve only got my usual porch lights on so far, but this weekend I’ll get out there and string more up on the house and in the shrubbery. Bring on the extension cords!
How about you? Do you have any sparkle lights up?
We put ours up! We went with a blue/white theme this year, so the lights are all blue and while, and they're lovely. We have them around the front door, and in the two windows upstairs facing the street. They eyes and nose of the house. :)
ReplyDeleteThe tree has the regular multi color lights, because they looks the prettiest. :D
That sounds lovely! I'm so glad that you put some up!
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