can you send me the details in a dm? i know someone who needs a place to live soon

I hadnt heard of that, thanks!

Roomies.com?

There are some communities that are bereft of lights, but there's also a ton of places that have pretty extravagant displays up. Then on top of it, there's the big elaborate displays at Merriweather.

There's actually a holiday light registry the county put up this year to help people find the houses with good displays. It's crowdsourced, so it only covers people who know to use it, but it's pretty cool that they're trying: https://data.howardcountymd.gov/HolidayLightsFinder_View/

78% of Pittsburgh is christian. That's 10% higher than the state of MD. I can't find reliable stats for Columbia, but one website lists us as 41% identifying as religious (I find that hard to believe) - but still, there is a large diversity of religion and definitely a higher percentage of atheists here than in pittsburgh.

Additionally - a lot of houses here have minimal storage. Pittsburgh tends to have more basements and accessible attics, so that just ups the odds someone is willing to store the decorations... right next to your weird toilets.

A lot of the houses here don't have front outside electrical outlets I looked at, which aren't cheap to have put in. Battery operated lights are a pain, dim and for what you get, rather expensive.

Columbia has a lot more people moving from out of state for jobs - serving as a bedroom community for DC and Baltimore, but also hosting some pretty huge employers (APL for instance) - so you're going to see a lot more people leaving the week before Christmas. Why decorate your house if you're not going to be home?

Then there is the fact that some people go absolutely overboard. We stopped by the bowman Bridge display the other day (bring canned goods for the food drive, it is a fundraiser), and that setup is mind blowing. The lights in the park are also really nice (though, the highlight is getting to drive through the stadium seats), and there is the other one in EC. I've driven through quite a few neighborhoods this week to find some pretty cool displays up.

Lastly - isn't the christmas spirit one of charity and giving? I'll consult my bible, but I don't recall anything in there about putting up lights in a consumerist frenzy. As someone, who all week, has been answering the door to people stopping by with Hanukah and Christmas treats for us - I think there's plenty of holiday spirit in this town, enough to warm even this cold atheist's heart.

Hard agree 💯

basket weaver?? what does that even mean?

Shut up, basket weaver

This is quite an ignorant comment. Christmas is first and foremost a religious holiday to many. Imagine mocking Hanukkah or Kwanza in the same manner. Try going through life with a bit more respect for others.

Easy there Trump, don't start burning crosses on lawns or nothing. Has the thought occurred that not everyone in HoCo/Columbia is Christian? Expand your world a little bit and you might find that some people from other cultures and religions are actually great people as well. Its part of what makes this area great.

Plenty of lights around our neighborhood, and Santa even drove by on a fire truck a few nights ago, as he does every year.

We don’t even celebrate it, but I’ve never seen a lack of Xmas spirit in Columbia.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

I feel like you’ve backhandedly called Columbia diverse and sophisticated and I don’t mind too much. But Merry Christmas, Happy New Year, and Wonderful Holidays to you and yours.

I was right there, too. At 12:30. Parked in nearly the same spot but when it was just the cops. I couldn't tell what was going on either.

Does anyone have an update? When we left target there was also a fire truck and two ambulances. I assumed a medical emergency rather than police business.

First Christmas here and I have to admit that there are fewer lights than I expected. But Town Center area looks pretty nice.

😂

Ummmm….you obviously haven’t driven down Stevens Forest Rd since Black Friday.

And let’s not forget Merriweather and the Symphony of lights.

Ewww. Christmas. Let's all go buy shit and pretend we like each other.

It’s a pretty diverse town so it’s entirely possible that some homes are not celebrating Christmas. But I feel like it’s pretty festive! Lakefront is literally dripping with lights. Have you tried keeping the Christmas spirit alive in your heart every day?

As a fellow PGH native, I’d agree that you certainly see more lights there than you do in Columbia, but abyss seems a little dramatic :)

I'm sure they're doing their jobs but HoCo cops do abuse their power too.

I hired a contractor who happened to be a very nice African American gentlemen, he met me at the Home Depot to pick up material for my job because it wouldn't fit in my car - the cop pulled him over (and called for backup) and harassed him, wasted his time, and let him go with a warning for "running the stop sign".

Sorry to disappoint.

There are plenty of people in the neighborhoods that have lights up (there’s even a map out there that shows some of the more elaborate displays) and Merriweather is hosting Symphony of Lights.

FWIW, I think black ice is more of an issue with sidewalks than road. The roads are well treated. But every year I hear of someone who hits a patch of ice walking and wipes out. Happened to me (no injury) a couple times on the Wilde lake path. Looked that wet, was actually frozen wet.

IDK what it is but I just noticed this leaving Target; they are still there