What is that on your front lawn?🎄

     Whoa, whoa, whoa! I need some help. I need for someone, anyone, to explain to me what has happened to Christmas OUTDOOR decorating. Massive light displays I understand. I’ve been known to go a little overboard (more on that later). I understand, sort of, mixing religious icons with the Jolly Old Elf. I actually saw a Nativity scene And a Menorah And an inflatable Santa Claus on someone’s lawn once. Guess they were trying to cover all the bases.

     So here we are, about two-thirds of the way through Cyber-Monday and our neighborhood is already resplendent with Christmas lights and front lawn inflatable decorations. Those inflatable figures have certainly been the rage for awhile now. In the beginning there may have been Santa Claus or Rudolph or a snowman bobbing in the winter breezes, sometimes straining their tether-ropes when the breezes ramped up to brisk wind status. Who hasn’t rushed to dig out an inflatable Santa buried by an intense overnight snowfall? Speed becoming the essence as Mr. Claus was struggling to re-inflate. Not freeing him from his frozen prison could cause motor burnout.🌬🎅🏽 Ugh!

     For several years, Santa or Rudolph were pretty standard. Then a few lime-green Grinches surfaced. I could see that, made sense. After all, how he stole Christmas is a television staple during the holidays. The innocuous snowman was replaced with Frosty. Again, it seemed like a logical progression since the song is beloved by everyone. Now just sticking a Santa hat on any pop culture icon (particularly if it comes from an Arctic climate) makes it acceptable to display at Christmas but penguins and moose? When did, or better yet, where do penguins and moose represent even the 13th day of Christmas?

     Disney knew a good thing when they saw it (translation $$$$$). Soon there were Mr. and Mrs. Mickey and Minnie Claus complete with, you guessed it, Santa hats. Then Eeyore, Piglet and Tigger came on the scene with Winnie the Pooh, Santa hats on every head. Jack Skeffington, Oogie Boogie and that whole crew following closely after the movie hit the screens. Nothing screams Christmas more than skeletal figures in black and white, makes the red hat really Pop! I believe there is probably a Christmas inflatable for every Disney Christmas cartoon and movie ever made.

     I get e-ads daily for Christmas inflatables. There are inflatables that are over 12’ – 15’ tall: Christmas trees, Santas, Frostys, Grinches, stockings, elves and reindeer. I understand that, I do. We’ve had several inflatables, been known to blow-up a Santa, a couple of snowmen and a cute sitting Golden Retriever puppy in a Santa hat we got the year our Golden puppy arrived. What I’m  struggling with, struggling to understanding are the Minions, raccoons, Snoopy driving a zamboni, meerkats, Darth Vader, Hello Kitty, Batman, Spider-Man, pink pigs, squirrels and Santa riding an elephant. I know some are probably from television shows, but Charlie Brown, Lucy and Snoopy in a manger? Santa herding llamas? Really?

     One year my husband and I went kind of nuts decorating. Our decorations outside caused our granddaughter to make the comment that our house looked like a gingerbread house. We bought striped red/green paper lanterns, wrapped them in cellophane so they looked like peppermint candies and hung them from the eaves with lights in between. We had three Christmas trees that lit up in sequence to music, an inflatable snowman and Santa, lights that marked the pathway to the front door; one set in the shape of candy canes, the other set over-sized Christmas tree bulbs. It was fun, it was magical, and even though almost 2 feet of snowed covered everything, it was worth the effort to put it together. Our granddaughter loved it so much she remarked on the way  home she wished the night was just starting instead of ending. Magical memories for us all.

     Perhaps that’s the only explanation needed. These weird inflatables may seem to have absolutely nothing to do with Christmas but may have everything to do with the families who put them in front of their homes. They may be part of a favorite bedtime story or a much loved cartoon character or a remembered tradition from the past. Maybe they are reminders of other holidays with family and friends who, for whatever reason, can’t be part of your celebrations. I’ll really try to look at them with a different eye from now on. But I still have to draw the line at a poop emoji wearing a Santa hat.  💩