Lots of Christmas lights still up in NJ

If you drive around most neighborhoods in the Garden State a week after New Year's Day, you'll still see plenty of holiday lights and displays. They seemed to go up earlier this past year and it seems like they're gonna come down a little later this year. It could be the population longing for any symbol oof cheer and joy and light in a period when there has been precious little of that, in 'these unprecedented times'.

We've already passed the traditional date that signals the 'end of the season', which would be January 6, or the feast of the Epiphany.  That come 12 days after Christmas, the day the wise men visited the baby Jesus. Well, the wise men didn't have to deal with a pandemic and happily went back to doing whatever it is that wise men did 2,000 years ago.

Wise men and women today, listen to their kids or hope to keep some kind of joy around after the holidays. What would Jesus do? Jesus told me to look up the warmest day in the 10-day forecast following Christmas Day and take them down! So, the Saturday after New Year's Day they came down and were put in boxes faster than you can say gold, frankincense and mir.

I don't like putting them up and I look forward to the day I can take them down. Call me The Grinch or just the guy who's asked to climb an old ladder to put up temporary lighting who thinks it takes up electricity and my leisure time. I do like the fact that my family likes the way the house looks all lit up. I also like sitting inside the house watching college football on a sturdy couch. But that's just me. If you like your lights up til June, you go for it. At least it's guaranteed to be warm when you take them down.

The post above reflects the thoughts and observations of New Jersey 101.5 talk show host Dennis Malloy. Any opinions expressed are Dennis's own.