The hanging of Christmas or Holiday lights around your property, to decorate for the holiday season, has many traditions, especially in the U.S.
Local news stations hold contests for the best lights in the area. Some homeowners like to compete with each other, and try to outdo themselves or their neighbors year after year. Often, just to add to the spirit of our neighborhood, we all like to contribute something, whether it is a lot or a little, there is no limit to the look and feel we can achieve.
It is customary to first hang lights starting around Thanksgiving night and leave them up until after Christmas or until around mid-January. Often weather conditions contribute to our decisions about when it is best to go outside to add or remove these lights.
Even with all the traditions, there always some people who prefer to push the limits, often due to extreme enthusiasm for not wanting the season to end. Either that, or out of sheer laziness, others prefer to leave their lights up year round.
For anyone who doesn’t have lights of your own, there is a way to take part in this fun experience, directly from the comfort of your own home. A couple, Ken and Rebecca-Ellen, in Fairbanks, Alaska, U.S, have created an interactive website:www.christmasinfairbanks.com, where any viewer can go to this simple site to adjust their home holiday lights as desired. You can turn on or off any of the lights around this couple’s house and yard. Lights can be switched for: various windows, the garage, doors, a column, tree, door wreath and railings.
While multiple viewers can be interacting with the controls at the same time, there will be a slight delay until your commands are recognized. However, you will find that this is a real-time site as the live running time-stamp at the bottom of their Christmas Cam image indicates. While it is unclear how long this site will be kept up, we recommend that you check it out as soon as possible.
Their website lists more information on how to contact the couple if you have questions, or just to say, “hello”. Also listed on the site, is links to media coverage of their house and the internet-controlled lights, as well as fun frequently asked questions. The main question that remains open is, “how will the electric bills be paid” and “how can they partner with some to get an improved internet connection.” Either way, it looks like this is a new tradition to add to the books.
