Christmas lights and good company

Photo property of Dionne Randolph. May not be reproduced without permission. 

Last night after our Friday night devotional myself and ten friends hit the streets to check out the Christmas lights, bundling up in coats, scarves and hats, and picking up hot chocolates to keep our hands warm along the way. We walked around for about two hours, and although I generally feel that the weather here is pretty mild, last night I was glad I had worn my wool hat. The lights here remind me of something out of a movie. Each tree-lined street strung with white lights that arc over the street, and each individual tree wrapped in lights that climb up the trunk like a candy-cane. Most of the houses have lights on the eaves and around the windows and doors, but many also have reindeer, snowmen and Santa on the front lawn. One house had a Santa playing a real piano. It is magical and at the same time I know that if I were to describe the scene to some of the friends that I grew up with back in the Mediterranean, they would laugh and shake their heads, not knowing what to make of the massive outflow of energy and money that goes into decorating houses for Christmas here.

Photo property of Dionne Randolph. May not be reproduced without permission.

Still, it IS beautiful, isn't it? And wandering up and down the sidewalk with my friends last night I passed many, many others out doing the same thing, some singing carols, some talking and laughing as they walked. A few people had even rented limos to drive them up and down the streets very slowly so they could take in the sights from the warm comfort of the car! Having so many people out wandering the residential streets at night was evoked a kind of community spirit that I so rarely get to experience here. I really enjoyed being out there with friends and strangers alike--all having such a great time!

Photo property of Ariana Salvo. May not be reproduced without permission.

How about you, friends? Do people decorate their homes and streets for the holidays where you live? Have you taken the time to go out and enjoy the magic of the season at night with friends and/or family?