You Know What Really Grinds My Gears? Now with 3x more gears...

[getbak]

Do that many people turn their lights on before the end of November that the question of turning them on before Remembrance Day is an issue?

[GordonBlue]

Originally Posted by getbak

Do that many people turn their lights on before the end of November that the question of turning them on before Remembrance Day is an issue?

nowadays, yes.

Last year I saw quite a few people having their Christmas lights on in the evenings starting in October. One house a couple of blocks from where I live started turning them on Sept 1.

[GordonBlue]

Originally Posted by Slava

We have those and have them on constantly also. I think they look nice and the whole "wait until after Remembrance Day" is just a new made-up thing. I have no idea who decided that was somehow disrespectful or that because you were looking forward to Christmas that you couldn't also observe the sacrifice of our veterans.

I personally have issue with people having their Christmas lights on before Halloween is over.
You want lights in October? put on Halloween lights, or none at all.

[getbak]

Originally Posted by GordonBlue

nowadays, yes.

Last year I saw quite a few people having their Christmas lights on in the evenings starting in October. One house a couple of blocks from where I live started turning them on Sept 1.

I know some people suggested doing it because of the COVID restrictions in hopes of brightening things up. I wonder how many will keep it up this year?

[TheIronMaiden]

Originally Posted by getbak

I know some people suggested doing it because of the COVID restrictions in hopes of brightening things up. I wonder how many will keep it up this year?

I am of two minds when it comes to lights.

1. It is needless power consumption and light pollution.

2. It adds beauty to what can otherwise be a dark and depressing season.

[SportsJunky]

For those with the gemstone lights, do you have a guy you'd recommend?

[81MC]

No Christmas before Halloween.

[AC]

Originally Posted by Superflyer

How much do those Gemstone lights cost? I think it is a good idea, just have not looked much into it yet

We added gemstone lights to the front of our new build (extends a few feet down the sides too).

Cost through the builder was $2,072.40

[Sainters7]

Originally Posted by getbak

I know some people suggested doing it because of the COVID restrictions in hopes of brightening things up. I wonder how many will keep it up this year?

Yeah exactly, I think people get a pass those 2 years, we all needed the mental boost in 2020/21. One house in our neighbourhold left their entire inflatable Santa and elves front lawn display up and illuminated the entire year at that time, I get it.

I don't see anything wrong with putting up the lights now while it's still warm, as long as you're not turning them on. I do get how it'd look funny/lame walking by that getting set up in September when it was sunny and 24 degrees however.

[topfiverecords]

Christmas lights on before mid November is tacky as heck.

[undercoverbrother]

Originally Posted by topfiverecords

Christmas lights on before mid November is tacky as heck.

Agreed but people to a tonne of tacky things to their homes.

[undercoverbrother]

Originally Posted by AC

We added gemstone lights to the front of our new build (extends a few feet down the sides too).

Cost through the builder was $2,072.40

It's not the cost that bothers me, its the life expectancy of them. I feel (but don't know) that once they start to fail they will look like #### and be a pain in the ass to fix.

[GGG]

Originally Posted by TheIronMaiden

I am of two minds when it comes to lights.

1. It is needless power consumption and light pollution.

2. It adds beauty to what can otherwise be a dark and depressing season.

With LEDs power consumption is negligible. 5W per strand. So even 20 strands is only 100w. Now the fans on inflatables waste a tonne of power 50-100w per Motor.

[topfiverecords]

Originally Posted by undercoverbrother

Agreed but people to a tonne of tacky things to their homes.

The benefit of winter is the darkness that hides their tackiness, but now they're going hard at lighting it.

[DoubleF]

Complaining about lights is a bit weird. I honestly think they look nice, even if they're like icicles or whatever lights in the summer. Better than insanely bright and poorly positioned spotlights for light. I've actually been thinking to get rid of that light and just do some soft lights around the front pillar so people don't trip in the dark.

I agree with holiday specific blow ups and displays though. Christmas before Halloween is bizarre. In reverse, a gigantic spider on the roof of a house during Christmas would be hella weird too.

The solution is obviously year round "Nightmare before Christmas" though.

[Sliver]

I'm over the inflatables. When they first came out it was neat, but now they just look lame.

[DoubleF]

Originally Posted by Sliver

I'm over the inflatables. When they first came out it was neat, but now they just look lame.

IMO I find they're more appropriate for Halloween than Christmas. At least kids have an idea which are the cooler homes to go to for trick or treating. At Christmas, it's like... your ####'s getting its own tree well...

I do get that the inflatables are also great for older people. Set up and weight is much more easily manageable. But push come to shove, I'm with you Sliver. It's time to tell everyone to upgrade to laser light decorative systems. No more inflatables!

[pylon]

I always find the sensible solution is first weekend after Remembrance day.

We hang them and start using them that weekend, and stop turning them on Jan 15th.

Then the first Chinook after that, they come down (roof ice condition permitting.)

People that leave them hanging on their house year round.... now that's a Gear Grinder.

[Slava]

Originally Posted by GordonBlue

I personally have issue with people having their Christmas lights on before Halloween is over.
You want lights in October? put on Halloween lights, or none at all.

Meh, I have the gemstone lights and I'll probably go with a Halloween theme, change them after that and maybe red for Remembrance Day. But I'm not too fussed about it. It gets dark early here, so having lights makes sense to me.

[surferguy]

My lights are still on the house. I feel zero shame