The Neighbors Started Decorating the Day After Thanksgiving

At least they halted. I'm glad. I like the sentiment expressed in that card.

@bagarad I thought it was cleverly done.

Do you let the Bible characters dominate the decorations or do you also bring in Snoopy, Lucy, Rudolph, and some of the other inflatable characters I see around my neighborhood?

@bagarad There will be sheep. shepherds and bible characters.

@allknowing I'm glad. They belong there,

@bagarad Exactly!

I think the inflatables are really tacky, and funny. Especially when they are deflated in the daylight. They make the yards look like someone needs to pick up all that plastic and take it to the trash.

@bagarad That's sad indeed.

It sounds pretty. Many offices in America sadly probably don't allow nativity sets anymore.

You are, of course, entitled to your own interpretation. But many who put up decorations are just finding what's in the stores and bringing it home to their yards. Many probably have no idea if it's accurate. It is highly unlikely that the infant newly born was visited by the wise men, since the baby would have been two years old by the time they arrived. It was the shepherds who got the message from the angels and went to see the baby right after he was born. Although the Gospel writers weren't there to witness these events themselves, Mary certainly was, and she knew those who later hung around with Jesus so she could have given them her eye witness accounts of what happened.

I expect ours will also be very quiet. We really don't do much to celebrate anymore.

@bagarad I just want it to all be over.

The people with the nativity put on quite a light and sound show. They have a radio station, I think, and invite people to tune in while they look at their display.

in some neighborhoods, it's almost like a competition. There was one neighborhood in Downey, California when I was growing up where everyone had a yard that looked almost like a movie set before Christmas. I think there was a prize for the best display. People came from all over to see it. My brother lives in a neighborhood in Orange County where many people have equally elaborate yards, but not everyone participates in the way this neighborhood did.

I love traditional and some more modern Christmas music. It sounds like this pageant is something I'd enjoy.

I'd lie to go back to families making cookies together and stringing popcorn on the tree. Everything just seems so commercial.

I guess I'd like it to come just a bit later -- maybe sometime in December.