Many people decorate their homes with lights and decor both inside and outside for the holidays. By removing all exterior holiday lights before New Year’s, the December events will end and welcome the new calendar.

As 2018 and semester finals creep closer, the holidays are not as important to continue celebrating. With holiday breaks, many people have more time to take down their lights and not worry about going to work or school in late days of December. Although some have multiple weeks off, many parents do not have extended time to spend at home.

“Because I only have usually a couple days off of work around Christmas or after Christmas, if I don’t do it right then, it’s going to prolong and take forever to take them down… [and] pack everything away neat and nice,” Irvine resident Amanda Babiar said.

In Irvine, snow is not an obstacle stopping members of the community from taking down their outdoor decorations and lights. December serves as a great time to take down lights and wrap up the season with its typically mild weather.

As many families take advantage of long breaks for a vacation, they are not able to remove holiday decorations after coming back. For those travelling, it is more efficient to take down lights previous to their vacations. After coming home, unpacking is enough work without extra pressure to get holiday lights down before work and school pick up.

As the weather cools and heaters are blazing, electricity bills may be the highest of the year because of increased use, according to a Kotzebue Electric Association article. The continual turning on of lights stacks up a bill that makes the holidays less merry. My family’s usage in December is higher than all surrounding winter months.

Many holidays occur during December and are unneeded in January. As some set new goals for the year, celebrating a holiday from the previous calendar does not make sense.

“I like to have things clean and put away for me to step into the New Year with a sense of accomplishment and calm,” Irvine resident Emilia Maracine said.