It's Christmas time and we've definitely got to the bit of the year where it's acceptable to put the decorations up and celebrate.
Whether real or artificial, most houses will have a Christmas tree and an assortment of other decorations inside the home, but there will be plenty of people also decorating outside.
We've all seen a house where the owners have gone the whole hog by decking it out with bright lights, signs and little models of Santa Claus and his reindeer, but is there such a thing as going too far at the festive period?
The Claim
Going too far? It's Christmas, 'tis the season to be jolly and if someone wants to drape their house in enough lights to illuminate an entire village then let them.
Besides, having the decorations up can help spread festive joy to others. Some streets where the homes are lit up like Blackpool Illuminations attract visitors who like seeing the decorations others have put up.
Some streets have even managed to turn their decorations into money for good causes after the sheer amount of visitors coming to see the lights were asked to make charitable donations. People clearly love the lights and it all ends up being in aid of charity, so everybody wins.
The Christmas decoration superfans can daub their homes in thousands of light every year and look forward to the most wonderful time of the year where they can get out all their decorations and make merry with the fairy lights again.
For some of these people it's an all year round hobby as planning for new setups and designs is a big job and their minds are racing with ideas months before they get Michael Buble out of his box for the festive period.
The Counter Claim
It might be plenty of fun to have a Christmas lightshow on your house or go and visit one, but spare a thought for the poor souls who have to live next door to the bright, glowing "MERRY CHRISTMAS" sign.
Sleeping is a bit more difficult when the neighbours have got thousands of lights on all over their house and like to leave them on at night, with some Christmas fanatics asked to switch off or tone down their displays by others on their street.
It's possible to be filled with the Christmas spirit and still want to get a good night's sleep without bright lights making that difficult.
At this time of goodwill to all men and women, it would help if people decorating their homes consider what impact the lights might have on the neighbours.
Maybe you don't need to have them on too late and you don't need the most garish signs. It's fine to be in the mood to celebrate as long as you remember that people around you need to sleep.
The Facts
Brits appear to love getting the Christmas decorations up and most households will spend a significant sum on lights, trees and other decorations.
Artificial trees are becoming more popular as they are reusable and more durable than they used to be.
Each household will spend on average £76 on seasonal decorations, with a total bill of £2.1billion spent on trees, lights and signs.
That's a lot of money spent, but since it's an average you can guarantee that some of the Christmas superfans are spending even more than that. Many of those who love illuminating their homes each December already have a large collection of decorations that they add to each year.
Also, do be careful where you put the decorations. Sticking them near heat sources can start a fire which spreads quickly across the home, so make sure your lovingly decorated home doesn't end up going up in flames.
