Flashing Christmas lights

[Galiano]

What is it with flashing Christmas lights? Does anyone actually find them attractive? I've just been for a walk around my village and was bombarded with migraine inducing, manically flashing lights on every block. None of them were in sync and they were unbearable to look at for more than a few seconds, there was nothing peaceful or magical about it. I get the idea of gently twinkling lights but what is the point of strobe lights? Just because they can flash, doesn't mean they should. AIBU?

Hate them!!

I'm epileptic so if we have to go out this time of year I have to have my eyes shut the whole time.

They are awful. Tacky and grim to look at.

Hate them too. I can’t look at them for fear of them brining on a migraine

Yeah, some of them are nuts. By all means twinkle but some of them are like a rave.

I don't particularly like them, but different strokes for different folks. Personally, I have ours on still, because I'm hyperaware of just how badly they can impact people, as one of my children's friends when they were little, had fits induced by flashing lights.

(We were in a hotel with madly flashing lights on the trees, and, erm, DH took the liberty of quietly putting them on still mode. . .)

My neighbour has flashing blue lights. I keep thinking the emergency services are outside.

@Watto1

My neighbour has flashing blue lights. I keep thinking the emergency services are outside.

Same here They’re off in the day but then in as soon as it gets dark and then flashing all night I really cannot see the point We live at the top of a cul de sac too so it’s not even as if anyone else sees them in passing

YANBU

I sometimes wonder whether the homeowners arrive home in the evening, draw the curtains, switch the xmas lights on - and don't go back out again. So they maybe have absolutely no idea how ghastly, glaring and un-Christmassy their house looks.

Or maybe they like the Las Vegas look.

I suffer with weekly chronic migraines. We have lots of flashing lights and we love them!

It’s part of the joy of Christmas. Don’t like them? Don’t look 😉

"Migraine inducing"

They are horrible!

I'm epileptic so if we have to go out this time of year I have to have my eyes shut the whole time.

I was thinking about whether they could trigger someone's epilepsy yesterday morning as I passed several flashing houses just before 7am. Also, do people leave them on night?!

@sunnybunnyy

"Migraine inducing"

Yes they are. My mum asked a neighbour to turn theirs onto the "always on" setting as the flashing was setting off headaches for her. Fortunately they were nice neighbours and agreed to do it.

@sunnybunnyy

"Migraine inducing"

What's confusing you about that?

Yup they are awful. They don't look nice at all so I don't know why people do it!

The flashing is a nightmare. Our indoor lights have a strobe setting and also a random setting where you think they are static and then start strobing. DD constantly switches to the migrane inducing flashing and cries when I switch the setting!

Flashing lights trigger a migraine for me, I hate them! Flashing bike lights are awful too!

I no longer get migraines but when I did flashing lights were one of my triggers. I still hate them.

Neither of my grown up DCs like them, so for years now, I've had them just 'on'.
I quite like 'fade' effect on lights, but most of them don't do it. just as well my hot tub lights do..

My mum would never allow us to have flashing lights on the Xmas tree for all the reasons already stated here. I think they are fine outside though. But yes inside they would drive you bonkers.

Very few people with epilpesy are also photosensitive - around 2 or 3%. I'm photosensitive and have never had a seizure triggered by Christmas lights, but they might not be flashing within the range that I'm sensitive to. I agree wholeheartedly, though, that they're bloody annoying!

A house on the road behind us had a massive blue bauble light. Hundreds of blue flashing lights arranged like a bauble and pinned to the front of his house, strobe flashing ALL NIGHT LONG from mid November to January. This went on for seven years and it was so bright i could see it flashing all night through my bedroom curtains. Several people complained about the light. The light stayed. Until this year. There's no bauble light. I doubt anyone's complaints finally fell on pricked up ears so I assume the bastard light died, and I'm glad.

Fuck you and your tacky, migraine inducing, epileptic's nightmare of a light, Clive. I'm glad it's gone!!!

Blue lights unreasonably annoy me as much as flashers and ice-cold white ones. Just don’t feel christmassy at all. Blue is not a christmassy colour.

I haven't seen any flashing ones here, just static ones and an array of light up inflatable Santa's and snowmen. I don't really see the point as you seldom see your own, but when my DS was little he absolutely loved walking around looking at them. Flashing ones and blue ones seem a nightmare though, I'm sure I'll see loads now!

Let's move this to AIBAS
(Am I being a snob?)

It's Christmas, cheer up!

@brrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr

Blue lights unreasonably annoy me as much as flashers and ice-cold white ones. Just don’t feel christmassy at all. Blue is not a christmassy colour.

This, with (sleigh) bells on! I don't mind a slight twinkle or gentle fade, but our lights are always set to on. I can't stand cold white lights, they should be warm white and really the only other colour allowed should be red.

My neighbours (who I love) have a huge tacky display with clashing lights and giant inflatables, it gets bigger every year. I take the piss out of the husband for it (in a friendly way!) as it's all him (his wife is embarrassed but tolerant as they make him so happy!) but they have to put up with our small annoyances too.