Advent Memories No. 5: Outdoor Decorations

Outdoor Decorations

Did people in your neighborhood decorate with lights? Did some people really go “all out” when decorating?

Considering that the Southeast Alaskan neighborhood I grew up with did not have public electricity, the answers to those questions are "no"! There was a restaurant and lodge to the north of us that had its own generator. Our neighbors to the south that had a sporting goods rental and gift shop also had a small generator they used during the evening. In 1977, we finally got electricity to the neighborhood, but no one had outdoor Christmas lights.

In 1979, we moved to a log home up in the mountains of Eastern Washington. While we had electricity, our neighbors were "hid" by the ravines and hills around us. Outdoor lights were limited to a string here and there, from what I can remember.

Here in the city, there are quite a few neighborhoods that go "all out," and each year the city transit system has a tour where you can see all the best ones. We have our favorite neighborhoods that we visit during this season, in our family car. Our favorite years are those when there's been just enough snow to cover the lights strung on bushes, so that the colors glow through the snow. In one of these neighborhoods, we often see a covered sleigh pulled by draft horses touring around. One of these times, we'll have to try that!

This post is a part of the "Advent Calendar of Christmas Memories" meme created by Thomas and Jasia. You, too, can write your own Christmas memories, either for your personal journal or blog. Click on their names for the list of topics. To see what others have written, go here.