"And then I got an idea for a way to leave sadness behind, feel connected to others, and visit them in an appropriate way. I asked my husband, Paul, if he was game, and he said yes. So, we got in our car and set out to see the Christmas decorations that people displayed in front of their houses. In terms of religion, Christmas is not my holiday, but that was not the point of the outing."
"The diversity of the décor was the first surprise. One house had a digital display of Santa and his reindeer projected on the exterior wall of the second story. Another had dancing snowwomen and we laughed at one that wore a bikini. We saw geometric shapes and icicles, trees with crisscrossing lights, polka dots, polar bears, elves, fireplaces, and digital snowfalls."
During the COVID pandemic, winter holidays lacked shared meals, gifts, and gatherings as people isolated and joy vanished. A couple drove through neighborhoods to view Christmas decorations seeking color, light, and a physical expression of celebration. They intentionally visited streets with many colored lights, encountering diverse décor: digital projections, dancing figures, geometric shapes, icicles, and themed displays. Lavish arrangements, unusual color combinations, paper bags with candles, elegant sleighs, and digital snowfalls extended the outing from a planned half hour to two hours. The experience revealed the neighborhood displays as an outdoor art gallery showcasing individualized creativity.
Read at Psychology Today
Unable to calculate read time
Collection
[
|
...
]