The streets being all lit up and decorated with lights is one of the best parts of the holidays, but how much work do these light displays require?
Tristan Kalina from Coppell, Texas, owns Kalina’s Christmas Light Installation. He told The Dallas Express that there has been a jump in the number of people wanting their own Christmas light display.
“We’ve been doing this for two years. The first year we did 17 and then this past year we did 41 … only growing!” said Kalina.
The town of Addison gives UDR, an apartment management company, a grant every year to host an elaborate light show called Vitruvian Lights that attracts people from all over the metroplex.
Mary Rosenbleeth, public communications director for the city, told The Dallas Express that UDR does use a city electricity source but they did not give an exact number for how much power was used in 2022.
“They do plug into the town’s electricity. What we use to power our lights and things like that,” said Rosenbleeth.
Utility companies measure the usage of electricity from meters so how much you were affected depends on what company you are with. She did say that the Vitruvian Lights are LEDs, which have a lesser impact on electricity cost than standard lights.
LEDs get Kalina’s vote.
“What’s awesome is the new LED technology actually makes the wattage you’re producing extremely small,” he explained. “So, you’re not really spending more at all.”
Residents throughout the DFW pay companies like Kalina’s to come to their houses and businesses to put up extravagant light displays made out of hundreds of individual light bulbs. Lights are used to cover rooftops, trees, and anything else you want to sprinkle a little holiday spirit on!
These holiday wonderlands take about 30 mins to an hour to set up but can cost hundreds.
“We start at $659 and go up from there depending on design, how big the home is, and how far the drive,” Kalina said.
Back in November, The Dallas Express reported on the time-old debate of how early is too early for Christmas decorations. While most Americans wait until December to put on their light displays, there tends to be a great deal of variance depending on personal preference.
Well, exactly how long should you leave your Christmas decorations up?
Personally, my tree is still up. But, this isn’t uncommon. Christians say 12 nights after Christmas is the end of the holiday season. This tradition dates back to the fourth century.
According to Kalina, the residents of Dallas usually keep their lights up until early to mid-January.
Big parks like Disneyland start decorating for the holidays in early November and also usually leave them up until about the first week in January.
By the end of the first week in January, if you take a drive around Dallas, most holiday lights have been taken down or turned off.
Holiday-themed bars and activities around the city have dispersed, so are the holidays officially over?
Let us know when you take your lights down!