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Re-lighting the Christmas spiritIt's usually around December 15 that my Christmas spirit wears pretty thin. By now, I've managed to shop for six family members, five close friends and one spoiled schnauzer, in stores crowded with frantic shoppers. I've baked tray after tray of goodies for neighbors and co-workers. I've strung lights on the porch, hung mistletoe in the doorway and decorated my tree. I've laid out my nativity set, hung my stockings, and have listened to 400 different variations of "Jingle Bell Rock." Right about now, between waiting in line at the post office and watching yet another holiday advertisement on TV, is when I need a refresher in the reason for the season. For some, that's found in viewing an annual performance of The Nutcracker ballet, or a children's Christmas pageant. For others it's a trip to see Santa at the mall with their nieces and nephews. Still others find their bliss in an inspiring Advent sermon at their church. While those are all special moments of the season, I myself find peace in a nighttime tour of Christmas lighting displays. If you haven't ever just driven around and looked at the lighting displays of your neighbors, you really are missing a most beautiful sight. For the price of a tank of fuel, and a few hours out of your busy holiday schedule, I can guarantee you'll be back in the spirit of the season in no time. (It's even better than the warm gushy feeling you get from a very special holiday episode where once again a favorite TV character finds the meaning of Christmas, saves Christmas, or gets visited by three ghosts of Christmas and learns a very special lesson.) To begin, no lighting safari is complete without the proper refreshments. I like to start by filling a thermos with hot cider or cocoa, popping a big bowl of popcorn and breaking out the holiday treats. I have it on good authority that calories consumed during Christmas are deferred until January, so indulge in the extra Santa cookies. Next, you'll want to line up the holiday tunes for the car. While mine don't include any hint of "Jingle Bell Rock," I've found I can't possibly enjoy a lighting safari in silence. That's like watching a church choir lip-synching the "Hallelujah Chorus." So, load up the CD player with your favorites, be they secular or sacred. Likewise, you really shouldn't look at lights by yourself, so spread the Christmas fun. Load up the family, the dog, and any friends who need a refresher of holiday joy--the more the merrier. Make it a festive party and vote on your favorite displays for the titles of the wackiest, the tackiest, and the most awe-inspiring. Finally, if you're a planner, you'll probably have a map of the most lavish holiday displays to visit, with color-coded and timed routes for efficiency. But, to truly enjoy yourself, I recommend just taking your chances without a map. You just can't plan spontaneity, folks, although I know there are "Type As" out there who are going to try. On a successful Christmas lighting safari you'll find more than the perfect twinkling glow of your neighbor's fairyland display. You're searching for more than the creativity of a strand of chasing lights outlining the wheels of an antique pickup truck at the Chevrolet dealership downtown. A Christmas lighting safari isn't about checking yet another activity off of a long to-do list. Somewhere among the giant blow-up snow globes, the plastic reindeer and the 10,000 imported Italian twinkling lights that grace your neighbors' houses and yards, you'll find that spark of Christmas magic you've been missing. You see, whether they're clear or multi-colored, draped in graceful swags or outlining eaves, Christmas lights are vivid reminders to us that we celebrate the biggest and brightest light of them all December 25. Jennifer M. Latzke can be reached at 620-227-1807, or by e-mail at jlatzke@hpj.com. 12/15/08 Date: 12/8/08
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