A Griswold Christmas, sort of

I start out every December with high hopes. Once my wife and I have put up the Christmas tree and have completed decorating the inside of our house, I’ll walk down to the back of our basement. I pull out the Christmas boxes, dusty from sitting unmoved from the previous year, and I say to myself: “This is going to be the year. Yes, this year, I’m going to have a magical light display.”

You’ve seen the various versions of over-the-top Christmas displays. There are all kinds of a bad Christmas decorating clichés. You can forget that. I’m not looking to be the next Clark Griswold, from National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation, who was determined to have a “fun, old-fashioned, family Christmas,” complete with 25,000 twinkling incandescent lights on the outside of his home.

I just want to have something that stands out. While I tend to go on the simple side, I suppose I have a little Clark Griswold in me in that I want to say to my family, “Where do you think you’re going? Nobody’s leaving. Nobody’s walking out on this fun, old-fashioned family Christmas. No, no. We’re all in this together.”

Ha, ha.

Getting down to business

When I pull the Christmas lights out this weekend, I’ll start strong by getting out our step ladder and putting up white icicle lights across the front of our house. I’ll be careful to space them out so the lights have the same level of dip across the front of the house and I’ll put up more lights and green garland on our two columns.

By this time, I’ll start to get tired. My wife will pull me inside to help bring up another box or two and then I’m usually done. I’ll manage to put out a wooden Nativity Set on the lawn and then take a seat on the couch. I’ll magically get interested in the Hallmark Christmas Movie that my wife has playing in the background or the Army-Navy game, the 124 anniversary playing of the game, even though I know nothing about either team.

Oh, I try to be a master decorator, but I inevitably lose interest.

I fail at the job, but I’m still in awe of others who go all out. I write today about Christmas lights and the magical power they have in my story, Let it shine!, on The Heart of the Matter.

What do holiday lights mean to you?

Related story:

Let it shine!

On The Heart of The Matter

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67 thoughts on “A Griswold Christmas, sort of”

  1. My husband used to love putting up the Christmas lights. He would put them up in November, before it got cold but we refused to turn them on until December 1. I gave away all my lights to a young friend (I’m kind of regretting it because I am starting to want to be a bit more festive. Guess I’ll wait till Boxing Day (or not) to buy them for next year!

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  2. This may sound a bit korny, but it sounds like the magic of the season and all the lights are inside of you. The ritual of going to the basement, the hallmark movie in the background, it’s all a part of your magical tradition. Now go out and find those other houses that sparkle with lights and rejoice in the fact that you will not have to be the one to take all that down. 😃 Great writing!

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  4. I love when you tell on yourself…Hallmark movies, eh? I mean…at least it’s in the spirit of the season.
    I long ago gave up — Paul does his thing and spends too much time decorating the deck and not the front of the house but I get his point — he wants us to enjoy the view — not just decorate the front of the house. ❄️❄️❄️

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    1. Yes, we definitely spend more time decorating inside for us! I used to decorate the back of our house, but when I looked back and saw the woods and not another house around, I asked myself “why.” I’m just a lady bum. ha, ha. 🙂 I wouldn’t say that I’m a huge huge huge fan of Hallmark Christmas movies, but at the same time, I know which ones are new and which ones have been out for a while. Ha, ha. Okay, I have my favorites and ones that I would prefer not seeing again.

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      1. I think Hallmark movies don’t get enough respect. There are days…when a predictable, loving storyline ushers in a special kind of calm. And when sister Lisa is with us, they’re definitely part of the line-up because she knows them all — and looks forward to new Hallmark movies, especially because they’re predictably sweet. 🥰

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      2. Yes, I suspect their predictability is what makes them so popular. You know you’re going to come away happy. I inevitably rile up my wife because I’ll comment on how the jilted boyfriend, the guy the leading character had been dating before Mr. Right showed up, will storm back into the picture and make a scene at the community Candy Cane Carnival or will go on to invent the next hot Social Media channel and will become a gazillionaire and she’ll miss out. Ha, ha, yea, my wife doesn’t like when I do that either. Ha, ha.

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  5. Simple is my style and prefer softer, smaller displays than the ones seen from space. I think I would love your non-Griswold house Brian, especially with greenery tossed in 🙂

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    1. Yes, I’ve definitely kept it more understated and that’s fine too. Now when you walk in . . . my wife makes it feel like you’ve died and gone to Christmas heaven. I suspect that will never change. Ha, ha. But it makes her happy. So, I’m all in!

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      3. So far, I’m getting my dancing Santa out that rocks to Brenda Lee’s Dancing Around the Christmas Tree. If my daughter comes home for Christmas, I’ll get my homemade wreaths and our tree out.

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  8. I liked reading about the decorating journey that you take each year. I really enjoy seeing holiday lights on other houses in the neighborhood. They’re fun to see and add color to the evenings. But I have little interest in decorating the outside of our house with lights.

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      1. Hmmm… I haven’t thought about it as sad. Just one of those things that you’re into or not. Like, I mow my lawn and work on the garden, while most of my neighbors hire a crew to do it for them.

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  9. I’m with Deb, I like small and understated – one of the flats across the road is OTT for me. They, like us, really just have the window to decorate – but they have a big tree with gawdy, multicolour lights; there seems to be a red lit object to the side and then a blue garland of lights strung from the ceiling/top of the window – too many different colours all clashing.

    I like my tree, I’ll put up a couple of ornaments that I’ve collected over the years and all our Christmas cards. I don’t like tinsel much, except on the trees – my mum used to have it everywhere and I think it put me off – along with the bright gold tinsel tree – I’ve many good memories of Christmas time, family time, but not so much the decorations.
    I’m more focused on creating the right kind of environment to enjoy the time – activities, food (christmas pies, cake, christmas pudding). We also prepare a lot for new year – more cake, shortbread, booze … steak pie … I could go on 🙂

    I think growing up Christmas was magical, but New Year was where the parties and extended family gatherings took place

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    1. What great traditions and memories. When I’m done decorating, I’ll take some pics. The decorations will definitely be on the low key side. My wife likes to decorate more inside, but even then it tends to be on the comfortable side than anything gaudy or outlandish!

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      1. I’m not sure what it was with my mum and her youngest sister – my mum was always bright and gawdy and my aunt would be the house that was the brightest, with most decorations that everyone else came to visit – they both liked to be the heart of the party, while I’d be more comfortable on the sidelines making the drinks and looking after everyone. If we ever get our flat fixed and I can put up our big tree, I’ll maybe feature it in a post, but this year its just a little tree with fibre optic lights and snowflakes.
        I’d rather curl up in front of the tv in my pjs and a hot chocolate – so there are definitely some traditions that speak to me.
        ‘

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  10. OK Brian Griswold! 🎅🏻🎄🤶🏻 Just be careful on the ladder and don’t blow out the fuses in your neighborhood! Loved National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation. Beware of relatives coming to visit in an RV! 🚌😜🚍

    Liked by 2 people

    1. Yes, I thought about that after I posted, that Christmas is celebrated a lot of different ways across the globe. We have lights here, but my favorite thing about the season and the day is to just spend it with family and to be thankful for our blessings. That’s the best thing about it. Thank you Emaistace!

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  13. Interesting and exquisite blog post Brian. Indeed, Christmas is a special day for every family worldwide. Reading this just made me realize how Xmas🌲 is around the corner and I am glad that you stick with the old fashioned way of celebrating Christmas which is with family♥🙏

    Lastly, to answer your question, the holidays for me mean spending time with those we love and celebrating the birth of Jesus our Lord♥🙏🙏

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  15. You have an entertaining way of writing, Brian, so relatable and engaging. We love holiday lights and my hubby hung ours last weekend. There’s something about the ambience they create, so cozy, calming, and yet celebratory. We hang other sentimental decorations inside the house, along with the Christmas tree which is standing proudly that is adorned with more sentimental ornaments that either the kids made or have been bought for us. When we’re in this spirit of giving and loving instead of loathing, I just wish it would ripple into the new year and continue…wishing you and your family a wonderful holiday season.

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