Where Are The Best Holiday Lights In Montclair?

MONTCLAIR, NJ — For many of us, taking in our neighbors’ outdoor holiday lighting displays and other decorative touches is as much a part of the season as exchanging gifts and singing Christmas carols.

Patch and T-Mobile are partnering to help you compile a list of lights around Montclair that deserve a visit.

There’s a good reason why twinkling holiday lights and colorful displays make us feel good, according to mental health experts.

“It does create that neurological shift that can produce happiness,” Psychologist Deborah Serani, a senior professor at New York’s Adelphi University, told NBC’s “Today” show. “I think anything that takes us out of our normal habituation, the normal day in, day out ... signals our senses, and then our senses measure if it’s pleasing or not.”

Decorating for the holidays “will spike dopamine, a feel-good hormone,” she said. “For a lot of us, Christmas is a magical time, it’s a time of innocence. It’s a time of joy.”

So who has the best light displays in Montclair? Email eric.kiefer@patch.com and let us know the address. Also please send a photo (that you took yourself) to appear in our holiday roundup!

This article contains reporting from the Patch national desk

Send local news tips and correction requests to eric.kiefer@patch.com. Learn more about advertising on Patch here. Find out how to post announcements or events to your local Patch site.