To think that Christmas lights are "tacky and common" but not these ones?

[LunaLoveg00d]

www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2016/12/09/professional-elves-told-christmas-lights-tacky-common/

Article about two women who live in the separate halves of a semi and get together to put lights around their house at Christmas. They have received a letter - probably from a neighbour - to say that their lights are "tacky and common". When reading the article I was expecting to see some flashing reindeers and perhaps an inflatable Homer Simpson, but they're actually quite restrained.

I do find lots of lights tacky and common though....

You couldn't, for example, argue that a display like this one is classy and restrained and i'd HATE to live in a street where someone decorated their house like that.

Was about to call you a grinch in all honesty OP , lol . .

Then I opened the thread .

I always wonder how much it must cost in electricity alone to be honest. That is enough to put me off . . If its for charity though I think they should be allowed some slack I suppose.

Why do Christmas displays have to "classy and restrained"? Threads like this always appear at this time of year.

We do lots of garden stuff, never noticed a difference in our electricity bill ever to be honest.

You don't like my house?

I worked really hard on that...

I mean

You'd be happy to live opposite a house where every inch was covered with flashing Santa figures and reindeers then, Laguna?

The old "it's for charity" chestnut is wheeled out every year - no it's bloody not. If you were serious about raising money for charity there are lots more cost effective ways to do it and which don't piss off your neighbours who have to contend with cars and pedestrians gawping. It's like those middle aged blokes who buy a new sports car, it's LOOK AT ME and I AM SO FUN in 10 foot neon across your house.

Having said that my children get endless fun at this time of year trying to see who can spot the naffest house when we're out in teh car.

Thank You Laguna ,, I might invest in a string or two then just for outside over the living room window and a joint arch that has mine and neighbours front door in it .

Christmas is meant to be tacky, and flashy and tinselly.

That said, I am getting massive headaches from the led light protector beaming and whizzing in our windows from across the road every night,

Whoever sent that note is a right bellend.

I love the fact that they live on Light Close!

I saw that article yesterday.

I admired the women's response of adding more lights .

TBH, for professional elves, their lights are still fairly modest .

You'd be happy to live opposite a house where every inch was covered with flashing Santa figures and reindeers then, Laguna?

Wouldn't bother me in the slightest, my old street used to have quite a few houses all decorated outside, used to love driving into the street after work seeing them all lit up.

Christmas is meant to be tacky, and flashy and tinselly.

Says who?

This house is a flashing and tinsel-free zone. I don't like tack at any time of year and Christmas is no different.

The word "common" is used far too often on mumsnet

You can think that Christmas lights are common and tacky if you like. I think that you should lighten up you are the reason Santa has a naughty list.

I like them. the more the better.

I don't care if someone else thinks I have bad taste.

We get in the car and drive around looking at them!

"Says who?"

Says me

It is a fun story though.

I had better not show that picture to my DH either or it will give him something to aim for next year, at the moment we dont have a tall ladder so dont have any on the upper part of the house or roof, just the lower bit and the garden!

I think it looks really naff when you see houses decked out in flashing lights. One of the streets on our close has loads of houses covered in flashing lights and it looks so pants, especially the blue flashing lights - I just don't think blue lights are festive! They just remind me of emergency vehicles!

One observation I have made is that the council housing part of our estate is really heavily decorated with lights whereas the larger, privately owned detached houses at the other end have hardly any lights or outdoor decorations. It was the same at Halloween. Council houses all had loads of Halloween decorations and pumpkins and it was a great atmosphere for the kids and the whole community really. I liked that as it was only one day but the OTT Christmas lights are up for weeks! Meanwhile the "posh" end of the estate was so dull and dark and no-one wanted to go trick or treating there.

Before I get jumped on, I'm not necessarily suggesting it's down to class - it could just be that the families in council housing have more kids whereas the big posh houses are more older retired people who perhaps don't feel the need to decorate. Having said that there are actually a handful of couples with kids in the nice big houses and they don't decorate either so maybe it is a 'class' thing after all.

What a lovely, festive car ride pastime, Ebeneezer.

Haha now Im lower class because I like Christmas lights!

I pass a house like this on my way to nursery.

DD loves it. I don't but it's nice to see her enjoy it.

I couldn't afford the electric bill.

There's a house not far from me in Glasgow where the lights go up the day after Bonfire Night each year without fail. It's like a local landmark. People compete with each other to put the first pictures on social media.