I am so excited. Just like a little kid, I can’t wait to get our outdoor Christmas lights put up. I think that the outdoor Christmas lights are one of my favorite Christmas traditions. My dad always put up outdoor Christmas lights when I was growing up. I don’t know if it is because they light up the cold dark December nights, or because they are an outward symbol of the Christmas celebrations inside our homes, but outdoor Christmas lights are always magical.
The outdoor Christmas lights are something that we can share with everyone who drives or walks by whether we know them or not. To me they say, “We wish you a Merry Christmas!” to everyone who passes by. In our family, we try to make at least one trip to drive around different neighborhoods and enjoy everyone else’s outdoor Christmas lights. It’s so much fun to drive around singing Christmas carols, drinking hot chocolate and looking at the beautiful Christmas lights.
There have been very few years when our house didn’t have the sparkle and shimmer of outdoor Christmas lights. Several times we have just been “too busy” to get them put up. That never happens two years in a row, though because the whole family spends the entire Christmas season missing them. So the next year, they are the first Christmas decorations that go up. We must have our outdoor Christmas lights.
A fun and strange thing has happened over the years. My children go from being observers to active participants in the outdoor Christmas lighting. My sons especially like to design the lights for the year, although my daughters are always there to pitch in. The younger siblings are always so impressed with the efforts of big brothers and sisters. Now we have our grandchildren to enjoy the Christmas lights, too.
So tonight is the night for outdoor Christmas lights! I can’t wait . . .
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