Why oh why do we do Christmas lights - your reasons or fondest memories

[AussiePhil]

I've got a little thoughtful which caused me to reflect on why I got into xmas lights, what kept me going and what resulted in me taking an extended break, most of which will be untold.

However I thought it might be a chance for some inspirational stories about what keeps us going year after year. I have two that have stayed with me.

2009: the front yard was just a sea of computer controlled rgb garden flowers, visitors could be counted on one hand and myself, the next door neighbour and my better half were enjoying a beer on the front steps. A car had pulled up, mom and her quite autistic son had got out to have a look, we invited them to sit and enjoy a few minutes. Those minutes turned into 30 as the son sat enthralled and smiling at the lights as did his mother. That was enough to get me going for the next year.

maybe 2014 I was approached on xmas eve with me running around like a headless chook by an elderly lady, she looked both sad and happy at the same time, she thanked me profusely for the display that she and her husband had enjoyed from the first time i had put one on, he had unfortunately passed away that year.
Both have brought tears back to the eyes and are more than likely some of the true reasons I will be putting up at least something this year.

Feel free to share your story
All the best to everyone for 2021 and every year.

Phil

 

[AAH]

If I hear 1 child say "wow" that's enough pleasure for me to do my lights. I've never bothered too much with having a video suitable display or getting videos of it. My show and the playlist is solely for locals to enjoy. My song choice can't be too bad as I have my music up a tad loud as I don't have neighbours but I have had "neighbours" from across the road, past the factory, over the highway and up the hill call past our display and they've said that they open their windows of a night to listen to our music. We also have a number of very regular visitors. Some people come past maybe as many as 10 nights during December to sit and watch. We also get bus and mini buses past which is a slight problem in a dead end street. Most of the retirement homes around Bendigo do tours and include our display and it's always a joy to hand out candy canes or gingerbreads to the senior citizens who probably don't need the sugar. We often joke that the bus drivers for the old folks home ask each night who hasn't been out to look at the lights and they all put up their hands as they can't remember that they have been.
We have so many regulars that have come back year in and year out. We get the retirement homes. We've had a double decker bus but generally it's just a standard bus but sometimes 2 which generally drags along a tail of maybe 20 cars as obviously the buses have routes planned. We have the local hotrod club which makes a bit of noise when 20-30 V8's with non stock exhausts rumble up the street. Sometimes we (or most commonly me) will end up giving the same people in a car multiple lots of candy canes as they have been hanging around for 1/2hr or more and we've lost track of who has and hasn't been offered candy canes. When offered a 2nd, or 3rd time it's usual for them to say that they have already had some. I tell them that if they are going to stay that they need sustenance. Our display is well known throughout Bendigo not only for the flashing lights but also for the candy canes.
1 wow is enough and it makes my day/week/month but it's pretty normal to get up to dozens of them a week. I miss seeing and hearing the kids and even the big kids. They get their joy, but without the sugar, but I don't get as much of my joy. I get more than enough but I look forward to a time when I can hand out thousands of candy canes again.

 

[algerdes]

For decades we have put lights on our house for Christmas. After Thanksgiving dinner we would get out the ladders and the four of us (wife, sons, and yours truly) would have a blast turning the old Cape Cod into a "Christmas House". In 2010 when a neighbor (a couple of blocks away) was forced to sell his animated show due to a company move, I purchased it. Once I realized my mistake, I offered it for sale to a group that was trying to get a display up in the local park. They purchased it, but with the caveat that I came along with it. No one knew how to work with this new fangled "electronic" thingy.

We set it up in a corner of the park. The very first night about 18 cars were parked in the lot watching the show. Kids were out of their cars, dancing and singing along with the music playing over their car radios. Moms and Dads (and others) were joining right it. It gave me a "warm and fuzzy feeling" that very first night. Since then there have been hundreds of instances that confirmed my feelings toward doing it, no matter how much work (year round) that is necessary to make it happen.

My wife and I get to take "greeter duty" at the gate every 5th or 6th night taking donations and handing out candy canes and information. I am also in the park most nights checking on the show. The greatest memory of all was a mother that drove a beat-up old station wagon that had seen better days. She came through every night. About the third time I saw her come through on nights I was on duty I told her I couldn't take a donation from her again, she had given more than enough - she should just go and enjoy. She insisted on putting a few bucks in the bucket. She said that her son was in the back seat and was totally disabled. He doesn't move. That is until he sees the lights in the park. Then he gets real animated, moving to the music and trying to see all the lights by turning his head back and forth - and smiling! The ONLY time he comes to life is when she brings him out.

You can't quit when someone like this is depending on the work that you do! I know I won't!

 

[Grozzy]

Oh God, I wish my story was as heart warming as your ones. I have no doubt my lights have a positive impact on the people that come and see them but my primary motivations are more personal.
I started it as a creative outlet and enjoy challenging myself to make as much as possible myself.
As a hobby it does bring together a whole bunch of skills and opportunities to hone and practice new ones like programming, welding, milling and 3D printing.
It is all consuming and I do get accused of being a nutter when I'm making something new in March or talking about a new idea in April but I wouldn't have it any other way.

 

[uncledan]

Great post @AussiePhil! I started with this madness for my sons first Christmas(He's 16 now). What started off a simple static display in 2005... grew year after year. Before I knew the small static display was 16 channels then 48 channels, then 300+ channels. Then I found ACL and it went off the deep end (40k+ pixels, P5's,P10's etc for 2020). I've had many issues over the years with traffic, disgruntled neighbors etc that made want to throw in the towel. I hated being on the 6 o clock news Thanksgiving night 2015 because neighbor was trying to shut me down...

My wife and I find great joy being outside interacting with the viewers, handing out candy canes etc. My kids used to set up a table every night and sell hot apple cider and give out free cookies, candy canes and mistletoe dressed in Santa attire (they are over that now). Ultimately I would say I do the display for me, because I love this hobby and others get to reap the benefits of my labor. The positive feedback from the community is what keeps me motivated though. I've had several people tell me how much they loved our display when they were kids, now they're bringing their children. It's great to see the same faces out front every year and the display becoming a tradition from one generation to the next.

With so much negative in the world today I think adding a few lights at Christmas makes everyone feel a bit better. Christmas lights, Santa, Reindeer, etc mean nothing to me. Christmas is the celebration of Christ's birth. Some of my song choices may not show that but that is my main reason I have a display. You won't see XMAS around here... You can't take the CHRIST out of Christmas.

I have to say the highlight of it all was a young girl (maybe 13) that would come every night with her dad and younger sister back in 2018 or 2019. She had a pretty severe case of Autism but something about the lights and music just fascinated her. The three of them would spend hours out front every single night.. Sad to say I haven't seen them since. Lots of positive feedback from Veterans and family of active duty service members from "god bless the USA and Armed Forces Medley". If I get the display up this year that will DEFINITELY be on playlist. So many seem to have a lack of respect for our active duty military and Veterans...

Christmas to me is about giving. We do a toy drive every year with the local Mission who puts together large boxes of gifts to local families in need. All toys and cash donations go to a good a cause to local families. I have refused to take several large cash donations that "HAD to go to electric bill" (I have solar so no electric bill anyways..) That's not why I do this. People have actually taken the money back when I told them I was going to donate to the Mission for local families in need. Very sad but that's the mindset of so many people... As much as I love this hobby I think I'm kind of over it and people in general at the moment..