subject: Tacky or Tasteful? [print this page] Tacky or Tasteful? Tacky or Tasteful?
It is indeed the season to be jolly and most people enjoy taking part in the time honoured tradition that is Christmas and decorating our abodes in Aberdeen, however there is a thin line between tasteful and tacky. Defining this line however is tricky, is it to do with effort? When we have to cart everything around in our used vans, Aberdeen lock ups are emptied andthe bits and pieces within allow us to go a bit light-it-up mad? Or is it when we have to inflate a procession of Disney characters using a generator and everything from the pathway to the pond is lit up.
One household in particular has built up such an extravagant collection of outside lights- 1,000,000 to be exact- that it costs a massive $82,320 a month to run the entire set. The collection has been built up over 25 years and the total running cost has been estimated on an average 5 watt bulb, light show of 4 hours per evening and for a total of 30 nights. Is this a tad excessive? Could this house be so tacky that it actually reverts back to being tasteful, better to go the whole hog than half of it?
From the gleaming neon snowman with mechanical waving arm to twinkly lights on bushes, cardboard cut-outs and musical lights, there are so many decorative options that it isn't any wonder that we sometimes border on tacky, however what seems to be tasteful to some, is just plain lazy and effortless to others.
It is a shame when people do not take part in the decorating madness of Christmas but similarly when we have to drive the stuff back to lock ups in used vans, Scotland can seem such a long way, and a lot of effort for a few lights, massive electricity bill and a bit of Christmas cheer.
