It’s that time of year, when city and suburban streets alike are aglow from the many strings of Christmas lights strung everywhere. Add to that the lights from the displays and inflatables, and well, you can just imagine the electric bills. However, as familiar as this scene might sound, this year there’s a twist, as some of those pretty lights are now only being hung in the backyards.

Yep, you heard me, the backyards. Now, to be fair, this isn’t a brand new phenomenon. There has always been the rare house in the past that did this. Usually, it was because someone was sick, and couldn’t go outside. So, the lights were set up in the backyard, facing the house so that the sick person could better enjoy them. The other reason might have more to do with finding a loophole in the HOA rules. Neither reason seems to explain what is going on this year though.

Along with the typical well decorated streets, there will be the odd house out, sporting all the decorations in the backyard. So, nope to the HOA hack reason. In at least a couple of instances I’ve been familiar with the families in question, and no sick person resides there either. So, why is this happening.

In general, Christmas lights are displayed for a couple of reasons.

1. There’s the showing off your decorative style.
2. Keeping -up-with-the- Joneses plays a roll.
3. Sometimes there’s an actual contest going on.
4. Finally, it just might be so the neighborhood can enjoy it. So, where does putting it all in your backyard, where it can only be partially see it over the fence if you’re lucky, fit in?

It’s confusing to say the least. Is it reflective of these isolating times we live in? Have we come to a point where even sharing the light from our lawn ornaments is considered to be too much of a violation of our personal space? What does such changes ultimately say about us?