My neighborhood conducts a contest at this time of the year, awarding prizes to the properties most beautifully decorated for the holidays. Some of my neighbors really go all out, covering every available inch of their homes and shrubbery with lights and garlands. I love to walk around the streets these evenings, because there is so much color and sparkle. I've found myself wondering what motivates people to decorate at Christmas time.
Some people, I suppose, see the decorations as evidence of their holiday spirit. Many of the yards feature creches, a few even complete with Magi and plywood farm animals. Other yards contain lighted mechanical wire reindeer which bob their heads. Still other neighbors have simply draped everything with tiny lights. Do some see their handiwork as a challenge to their neighbors? How many folks simply want to win the contest?
My real question is, how do my neighbors' religious views figure into this flurry of decorating- or do they? It's not something I could ask them, of course; they would surely be offended that I even posed the question.
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