The holiday season is slowly approaching, and as you drive down the street you can’t help but notice the 12-foot-inflatable Santa outside of someone’s house that has been there since the day after Thanksgiving. No matter where you go, whether it is the mall, your neighborhood, or even the grocery store there is a good chance that you are going to be reminded of the holidays just by looking around at the scenery. The decorated houses with holiday lights bring a sense of tradition to the holidays.

Holiday lights are a holiday decoration that brings an old tradition to the new age. The lights represent the Christmas star which is a beacon to welcome all, according to www.christmascarnivals.com. These festive lights are a passed down tradition that creates its own meaning in every family.

“Putting up Christmas lights has been a tradition that my mom has carried on throughout the years to keep the Christmas spirit alive,” senior Fallon Matthews said.

Other meaningful decorations bring different cultured traditions to the United States.

“I put up traditional santons, which are hand made figurines from the South of France that represent people of typical French villages. The santon that I use as decoration for Christmas is the figurine of the nativity scene,” French teacher Ghislaine Toulou said.

Fallon helps her mother put up Christmas lights outside every year along with house decorations. The outside of the house is decorated with traditional white lights over trees and bushes and a homemade wreath hanging from the front door.

“We start putting up decorations the week after Thanksgiving,” Matthews said. “We are the only one’s in our neighborhood who put up Christmas lights and neighbors comment on the holiday spirit that they bring.”

A good way to celebrate the festive holidays is to go around neighborhoods and admire the bright lights. It is also a very inspiring way to begin decorating your own house. Neighborhoods that are known for intricate lights are those in Pimmit Hills, Falls Church. One particular interesting house is located on 2541 Avon Lane . The bright lights of the house pull you in as you pass down the street. The house is lit up with a 13-foot tree, an inflated Santa Claus, polar bear and snowman.

“During the holidays we drive through neighborhoods in Georgetown to see the Christmas lights,” Matthews said.

There are always many ways to enjoy the bright lights of the holiday. Just travel down the road, or start a new tradition of your own.