So what is so good about seeing all those lights and decorations?
it’s fun!
they can be very beautiful, and we all need beauty in our lives and to remember to appreciate beauty rather than being so busy all the time
it is a great way to spend some family time, and that is valuable. I still remember Christmas decorations on the street near my uncle’s house form when I was very young – it was a clear sign that excitement was on the way!
Christmas can often bring out the best in people – they tend to be kinder, more generous and remember to show appreciation to people who serve all year – and if decorations and lights help bring that about they are well worth it as peace and kindness is what the world desperately needs at the moment
walking around looking at lights gets people moving, out of the house and interacting with others
it encourages people to visit public resources and appreciate their cities and town centres
Some of the Melbourne Christmas displays from 2015
Costs of Christmas light displays
Obviously, every Christmas decoration costs money. And wide scale displays cost a fair bit, especially if you factor in the electricity costs to run a light display.
It’s a lot of money, and if you add in that most (all?) local councils also spend large amounts of money, it seems somewhat decadent to spend it on decorations rather than spending more on other causes (like homelessness and health care).
So it is worth spending that much money on one month?
Cutting the costs
I love the lights and displays, and I can see benefits to having them. But I am struggling with spending that much money on them.
So for what it’s worth, here are some suggestions from me on how to cut back those costs while still celebrating the Christmas magic.
cut back on marketing and PR – most people know the city has displays without having to be told in a marketing campaign so this seems a large expense for little return. And even then, maybe use designers and marketers rather than big agencies to keep costs lower
invest in solar panels to power more of the decorations – and other things throughout the year of course
swap decorations with other local councils/cities so that they get more use and the costs are minimised
sell tinsel and baubles etc after Christmas to recoup some costs and reduce decorations reaching landfill. Or donate lots of them to hospitals and other child-centric places so they can give Christmas cheer next year
only put large decorations on every second pole so the impact is still there but at a lower cost
consider the necessity of ‘VIP events’ or what is included at them – the city paying for food for lots of VIPs doesn’t help the city or the locals very much
rotate decorations so each set is used again after 3 or 4 years
get public involvement. For example, a big wall could be covered with kids’ drawings of Christmas trees instead of paying for fancy displays
How else could cities and councils cut back on their Christmas savings without cutting back on Christmas cheer?
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