History Main / OverthetopChristmasDecorations

* In a rare example from a film that, while it takes place during the Christmas season, is not a Christmas film, Michèle's neighbors Rebecca and Patrick in ''Film/{{Elle}}'' put life-size illuminated figures of the Three Wise Men on their lawn. While this may not seem like a lot by American standards, the film takes place in France with all the characters being French, from whom we would usually expect more tasteful, restrained displays.
** Justified by Rebecca being such a devout Catholic that she and her family take time off to go to Spain and join the pope on the pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela.

See also UsefulNotes.ChristmasInAmerica.

[[AC:Film - Animated]]

-->''"Trim every blesséd needle on the blesséd Christmas tree."''

[[AC: Film - Live Action]]

[[AC:Literature]]

[[AC:Live-action TV]]

[[AC: Stand-up and Recorded Comedy]]

[[AC: Theater]]

[[AC:Western Animation]]

[[AC: Real Life]]

* When the late Jennings Osborne put up very elaborate Christmas lights as a gift for his 6-year-old daughter, his neighbors complained. However, after gaining national attention, [[Ride/DisneyThemeParks Walt Disney World]] in Florida asked if they'd like to display their amazing spectacle of lights at their Orlando park. Thus began The Osborne Family Spectacle of Dancing Lights, which lasted a healthy 20-year run at Disney's Hollywood Studios.

* In ''The Amazing Christmas Extravaganza'', Mr. Merriweather originally intended to celebrate Christmas by decorating his house with a simple string of Christmas lights around the front window. However, when his neighbor, Mr. Clack, shows off his own decorated house with more than one strings of lights, Mr. Merriweather decides to add more decorations to his own house. At this point, he gets carried away with the decorations, adding bigger and more elaborate displays until [[spoiler:it ends up taking up the electrical power of the city, leading to a mob led by Mr. Clack to tear the decorations down during Christmas Eve, leaving Mr. Merriweather shocked when he discovers the destruction on Christmas morning]].

* When the late Jennings Osborne put up very elaborate Christmas lights as a christmas gift for his 6-year-old daughter, his neighbors complained. However, after gaining national attention, Walt Disney World in Florida asked if they'd like to display their amazing spectacle of lights at their Orlando park. Thus, the Christmastime attraction,The Osborne Family Spectacle of Dancing Lights, was born.

* ABC now has a light-decorating competition series that airs during the season and shows off real-life examples called ''The Great Christmas Light Fight''.

* In the first season Christmas episode of ''Series/TheFreshPrinceOfBelAir'', Will, annoyed by the family's subtle and boring Christmas decorations and Ashley not being into the holiday spirit, has himself, her and Geoffrey decorate the house extravagantly, with lots of lights, snowmen, trees, wreaths and even putting tinsel onto the living room phone. Their neighbors were not amused by the [[TakeThat "K-Mart look"]].

Often, there will be a contest for the best decorated house, and it's a matter of honour to try one's best to win. In some cases, this might be related to ConspicuousConsumption and showing off. It might be pointed out that more is not always better and that these kind of decorating can be tacky.

Often, there will be a contest for the best decorated house, and it's a matter of honour to try one's best to win. In some cases, this might be related to ConspicuousConsumption and showing off.

[[caption-width-right:350:It's all fun and games until you get the electric bill.]]

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* In ''The Amazing Christmas Extravaganza'', Mr. Merriweather originally intended to celebrate Christmas by decorating his house with a simple string of Christmas lights around the house. However, when his neighbor, Mr. Clack, shows off his own decorated house with more than one strings of lights, Mr. Merriweather decides to add more decorations to his own house. At this point, he gets carried away with the decorations, adding bigger and more elaborate displays until [[spoiler:it ends up taking up the electrical power of the city, leading to a mob led by Mr. Clack to tear the decorations down during Christmas Eve, leaving Mr. Merriweather shocked when he discovers the destruction on Christmas morning]].

These extravagant and overblown decorations have been seen in RealLife, too, but usually people don't exaggerate that much and try to keep the budget down.

Characters will light up their houses from the bottom up to the roof (the yard/garden included), decorate and/or illuminate their door and windows; have the biggest, finest tree; fill all their rooms with Christmas wreaths, candles, garlands, tinsel, wrapped-up gifts, stockings, cards, bells, Nativity scenes, [[OverlyLongGag Santas, reindeer figures, angels, snowmen, snow flakes, holly, mistletoe, candy canes, peppermints, cookies, gingerbread, etc]]. Everything will be very bright and very big. One popular colour combination is red and green, often with silver or gold, and there are lots of lights everywhere.

* There's a house in Illinois that does [=YouTube=] [[http://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=mannheim+steamroller+christmas+lights&page=&utm_source=opensearch videos]] of their computerized Christmas lights that flash in time to the appropriate Christmas song they're playing. Drivers can tune their car radios to a specific [=FM=] station to hear the music in real time so it doesn't blast the whole neighborhood.
** Side note: They also do it for Halloween.

* This bit from Creator/JeffFoxworthy: "If your Christmas decorations are bigger than your house, you might be a redneck!"

Characters will light up their houses from the bottom up to the roof (the yard/garden included), decorate and/or illuminate their door and windows, have the biggest, finest tree, fill all their rooms with Christmas wreaths, candles, garlands, tinsel, wrapped-up gifts, stockings, cards, bells, Nativity scenes, [[OverlyLongGag Santas, reindeer figures, angels, snowmen, snow flakes, holly, mistletoe, candy canes, peppermints, cookies, gingerbread etc]]. Everything will be very bright and very big. Popular colour combination is red and green, and also silver or gold, and there are lots of lights everywhere.

Staple of most [[ChristmasEpisode Christmas Episodes]], [[ChristmasSpecial Christmas Specials]] and Christmas movies. It's very often PlayedForLaughs on [[SitCom Sit Coms]]

See also our useful notes on UsefulNotes/ChristmasInAmerica.

* ''WesternAnimation/ACharlieBrownChristmas'': Snoopy gives his doghouse the decorative overkill treatment and winds 1st prize in the local newspaper's Christmas decoration contest.

* The live action movie of ''Film/HowTheGrinchStoleChristmas'' turned the scene from animated film UpToEleven by giving the Whos a device like a ''belt-fed machine gun'' to shoot decorations at their houses.

[[AC: Literature]]

* Agent Scully's flat in episode "Beyond the Sea" of ''Series/TheXFiles'' is full of Christmas decorations, which is kind of over-the-top, especially considerig she's a single career-oriented woman. She has her parents visiting and her father comments on it.

* ''Series/{{Grimm}}'': Monroe '''really''' likes Christmas, so when Christmastime comes around, he decorates his whole house with Christmas decorations inside and out. When his girlfriend sees it she's nonplussed because it reminds her of her aunt and uncle who were killed at Christmastime.

* ''Series/AllyMcBeal'': Ally loves Christmas, but her boyfriend Larry's not too keen. Ally pesters him to decorate his office a bit and he gets piles and piles of illuminated Christmas stuff and mechanized reindeer. We later find out he doesn't like Chistmas and other holidays because he has a small son and he misses him even more during holidays.

* In early seasons of ''WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons'', Flanders put up really elaborate Christmas decorations, including mechanized Santas, lots of lights etc.
* There's a WesternAnimation/MickeyMouse short where Mickey and Mortimer competed against each other about Christmas decorations -- it got to the point that it put out all of the city lights and destroyed their houses. They only compromised when a signboard behind them displayed "Peace on Earth", and mediated by sharing gifts... which turned out to be boxing gloves designed to hit the recipient.

* There's a house in Illinois that does youtube [[http://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=mannheim+steamroller+christmas+lights&page=&utm_source=opensearch videos]] of their computerized Christmas lights that flash in time to the appropriate Christmas song they're playing. Drivers can tune their car radios to a specific [=FM=] station to hear the music in real time so it doesn't blast the whole neighborhood.

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* ''WesternAnimation/ACharlieBrownChristmas'': Snoopy gives his doghouse the Decorative Overkill treatment and winds 1st prize in the local newspaper's Christmas decoration contest.

* Part of the plot of ''Film/ChristmasWithTheKranks'' is the Kranks refusal to take part in this over-the-top decorating, causing their neighbourhood to lose the annual "Best Decorated Street" award.