Christmas lights in the South

Now that Thanksgiving is over, it's officially OK to decorate our homes for Christmas. This is the first Christmas that Handsome and I are sharing a home and I was so excited to decorate. My roommate the past three Christmases is a holiday decorating maven so I've been leaving it up to her, but this year it was up to me.

Downtown Bethlehem, PA during the Christmas season

My hometown is Christmas City USA so I am in love with all things Christmas. I'm not going to lie and say I love those hideous blow-up or light-up lawn ornaments-- or really any lawn ornaments-- but in general I love all (tasteful) Christmas decorations. And you have to admire the spunk of the people whose lawns are littered with light-up baby Jesuses next to Santa and his sleigh-- they are willing to throw their dignity and electricity bill out the window for the Christmas spirit. So to sum up, I think you should decorate how you choose.

What I have learned since moving to the South is that there is one specific difference: No colored lights. Well, except at my house, and I kept them inside. 

Some mantle decor at my house

My one girlfriend in D.C. began dating her boyfriend (they are both from the South) last year around Christmas and she very seriously made sure that he preferred white lights. She was thrilled when he was as adamant as her that one should only decorate with white lights. I never knew this was an issue before. I never thought to ask Handsome what his Christmas light preference was, but then again, I don't care. I like all Christmas lights. Right now I have a couple strands of colored lights and I love them. I love bright colors, so that's what I decorated with. 

My mantle and stockings

What's funny is that that same girlfriend got me a great book to help me transition to life in the South called, "Suddenly Southern," by Maureen Duffin-Ward. Duffin-Ward is also a native Pennsylvanian who wound up in the South (North Carolina). On page three she has  a list of what and what not to pack and one thing she wrote to not pack was colored Christmas lights because down here, it's white only. Who knew? Not this Yankee. 

My DIY front door decoration

I'm not going to give up my colorful Christmas lights now that I live in the South. There is something whimsical to me about colorful decorations, like I'm living in a vintage Christmas movie.

I find this distinction between the North and South hilarious. I hope we have some Southern guests over soon so they can be silently flabbergasted at my Christmas decor. 

Out of curiosity, do you prefer white lights? If so, are you Southern?