Is It Still Too Early To Turn On Christmas Lights? Block Talk

When Christmas and holiday lights go up and come down is an age-old neighborhood conundrum.

We’re barely past Halloween, and the happy Santa has replaced the hideous skeleton — or at least the bones are sporting and red and white cap.

Some neighborhood homeowner associations set guidelines; in other neighborhoods, the unwritten rule is that it’s OK to take advantage of nice fall days to put up lights, but they shouldn’t be turned on until Thanksgiving night.

In still other places, Thanksgiving is like the overlooked “middle child” of holidays, caught between over-the-top Halloween and Christmas decorations.

As outdoor displays become more lavish, more setup time is required. And Thanksgiving is late this year, falling on the 27th. With only 27 days to sparkle, is “Christmas creep” more acceptable?

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About Block Talk

Block Talk is an exclusive Patch series on neighborhood etiquette — and readers provide the answers. If you have a topic you'd like for us to consider, email beth.dalbey@patch.com with “Block Talk” as the subject line.

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