[BGHater]

The link has an interesting video.

Overall, money spent on seasonal decorations last year totaled $16 billion, up 9% from 2004, according to Mintel International Group, Ltd., a market-research firm.

Inflatable yard decorations, like the ones displayed in front of this home in the Brook Forest community outside Houston, were the fastest-growing decorating category in 2006. People spent $500 million on inflatables last year, up from $100 million in 2003.

The decorating contest among residents of the Brook Forest community outside Houston has grown every year. Here's one contest entry in the neighborhood.

This 28-foot lighted arch was a part of Jim McDilda's holiday display last year. The Redding, Calif., resident used a crane to set up his decorations, which also included a 50-foot tree and 50,000 lights.

This year, for the first time, Gemmy Industries Corp., a manufacturer of nylon inflatables, sponsored a contest entreating people to send in photos of their decked-out yards. The prize: more Gemmy decorations. Here's one entry.

Kat Shumar, an Indianapolis homeowner, airs her grievances about gaudy Christmas decorations on tackychristmasyards.com, and challenges readers to send in pictures of yards with the most aesthetic "violations." Ms. Shumar dubs this Indianapolis home "The Brigade."

Ms. Shumar calls this photo, of a home in Greenwood, Ind., a possible "Intermingling Violation," which, she explains, "is when more than one theme is presented through décor in too close of a proximity. For instance, Jesus was not born in the North Pole, the reindeer didn't look into the manger, Santa was not one of the wise men... ."

[Mears]

The Christmas display at a house on The Jamaicaway here in Boston has also caused traffic problems.

I wouldn’t want to live nextdoor to it.

[Popman]

Christ-mas.

Lest we forgot.

Audacious displays are really stupid

[Clint N. Suhks]

I'm up to 12,000 mini lights. Hard to tell but they are there.

[Age of Reason]

Anybody know why people who hang those icicle lights on their homes, leave them up year round, never taking them down?

[Michael.SF.]

Disgruntled neighbors complain of everything from traffic (Possibly a justified complain depending on the circumstances)

to wasted electricity. (What a bunch of liberal green earth, global warming, nut cases!)

[Petronski]

I absolutely hate seeing a front yard Creche set out with care, with a Santa and Snowman standing next to the Wise Men.

Sheesh.

[xtinct]

Whether your a neighbor who is either delighted or dumbstruck by Domenic's Arborway, Jamaica Plain, MA home, you've got to hand it him --> There's nothing like it any place else in Massachusetts. Domenic owns The Castle. This year he added a 10 foot high, 650 lbs light up crown. He has over 250,000 lights on display. Here's some examples of the Christmas Wonderland:

That's the house... The yard about a quarter of an acre is spectacular too.

[LetsRok]

Al Gore and the global warming freaks must be going nuts right now. Think of all the electricty being wasted on this.

[lowbridge]

"I'm a little bit turned off by all the energy waste," she says. "We've got global warming. It just doesn't seem appropriate to blow up a snow globe."

The world is ending! And its due to christmas decorations! Arrrgghhh!!!!!!

[Bernard]

All this going on in residential neighborhoods? It would be far wiser to put a creche in a public park, where there would be plenty of parking, concession stands for refreshments, public bathrooms, .... That way, the taxpayers could share the burden of the displays, electricity, etc.

Along with large secular displays of Santa Claus, snowmen, and so on.

[ASOC]

There is a guy about two blocks from us that (snow permitting) makes a 40ft snoman - has for the last 3 years.

Not illuminated, so all the traffic is during the day light hours (such as there is). Quite the fun things for the kids to see.

We stay off that street in Spring, last year the snoman collapsed and mashed the guys car pretty bad.

But, it's all for fun and "Art".

Pics from 2005 can be found here

[upchuck]

If you removed all the decorations in the last photo in reply #1 and left just the star, the star rays and the manger, that would be a striking display.

[mylife]

I really dislike those huge made in China inflatables.

Last year some clown had inflatable Spongebob stuff on his lawn L0L

Oh well. L0L

[freekitty]

I always loved going to see the lights at Christmas.

[Ol' Sox]

There is a family in our town who have well over a half million lights in all the trees of their two acre property. Pretty much every cartoon character ever to appear on TV has been painted on plywood cutouts and planted all over the yard. Speakers in the trees play Crosby and a complete North Pole village lies along a path through the property. All of the sheds (Santa's workshop, the North Pole post office, sleeping quarters, etc.) are all big enough for kids to climb into and pose for pictures. Of course, Santa himself shows up on Christmas Eve.

On a cloudy night, you can see the glow of their home for miles. The neighbors, rather than complain, have taken advantage of the situation. Their enterprising their kids set up the hot chocolate and Christmas cookie franchise each year, which contributes greatly to their college fund!

[Xenalyte]

Inflatables are Satan’s yard decorations.

[gunservative]

What kind of name is "McDilda"????? Sounds like as if McDonald's went into the, ahem, "adult toy" business.

[Centurion2000]

After months of sniping between Mr. McDilda and the city, he decided to throw in the towel

McDilda??? Christ, this guy must be an absolute bada$$ street figther or one of the biggest liberals on the planet.

[fella]

When enough of these decorations are banned the little children in China will starve and we’ll have to send them the money we saved from not buying their decorations. It’s a viscious cycle.

[Verloona Ti]

All of those are quite modest compared to this one house in my town-they’ve been famous for their decorations since the late 1970s at least.