Christmas Decorations Create Quite A Stir

Garrettsville – Christmas is a magical time for youngsters, and adults, as the season holds many twinkling, colorful decorations. I remember driving around the streets of town after Thanksgiving so my children could see all outdoor displays. Even today as I drive I point out the different lighting displays. Each year I am amazed to see the changes in decorations that people place in the yard and on their house.

Lights have gone through a big change. The tradition of using lights on the Christmas tree reaches far back into history to the middle of the 17th century. The invention of electricity made it possible for Edward Johnson to create the first small Christmas tree bulbs in 1882. Remember when the bulbs were large and got hot very fast? Today you can find small LED bulbs that remain cool. The lights moved from the tree inside to outdoors.

Today’s decorations include more than just lights. Many people go to great lengths creating huge outdoor holiday displays, and oftentimes huge electric bills too! Imaginations run wild as people try to out-do last year’s display or their neighbors. The goal is to create a display that will get people talking, and pictured above is just such a display. The yard is not full of air-filled holiday characters, there isn’t a sleigh and reindeer on the roof, no this display is simple and understated. The residents of this Center Street home in Garrettsville (across from Carlson’s Funeral Home) have created a display so simple and realistic it has many people looking twice.

“He’s Okay” – yes the man hanging from the gutter is not actually a man at all! But the realistic possibility of a man losing his ladder and getting left hanging on the gutter has had many people rushing to his aid. Many of the double takes have had local towing company, Village Motors, busy pulling people out of the ditch. The residents have now added a sign to their holiday display – “He’s Okay, Merry Christmas”.

This display is definitely something you have got to see, just keep your car on the road as laughter sets in.