It’s Official: Christmas Lights Are Not Just for Christmas Anymore

Mirth-starved Americans, quarantined in their homes and separated from loved ones, have been putting up Christmas lights earlier than ever and plan to keep them up longer than ever, according to the nation’s top professional holiday decorators.

Christmas Decor, which serves over 300 communities across the country, helps homeowners add professional-level seasonal sparkle by stringing holiday lights, adding festive yard decor and decking doors with plenty of jolly holly. Its president says this has been his busiest year ever.

“People just couldn’t wait to get started this year,” says Brandon Stephens, president of Christmas Decor. “Folks want an excuse to feel good after the year we’ve had.”

Stephens estimates that by September of this year, his company had decked out over 600 more houses than it had by this time last year. That increase is significant given that Christmas Decor decorated 43,000 properties in 2019. “We had people calling us in the spring and summer because they wanted to get on the schedule,” he says. “Right now, we’re getting 250-plus requests per day through our website.”

But don’t expect the festive spirit to disappear after the first of January this year, Stephens says. Because COVID-19 postponed family gatherings and holiday parties, his clients are scheduling their removal for later than ever before, hoping to hold their family gatherings after the worst of the pandemic subsides.

This year’s longer decorating season coincides with another trend that house-decorating pros like Christmas Decor are seeing: Holiday lights just aren’t for Christmas anymore.

Lighting technology has become more sophisticated and less expensive with each passing year. With addressable RGB lights — capable of 16 million color combinations — Stephens says customers ask Christmas Decor to hang lights that can be used year-round.

With a flick of a button, they can magically transform Christmas colors into Valentine’s Day, St. Patrick’s Day, Fourth of July and Halloween motifs.

And Christmas Decor — which decorates homes for every holiday on the calendar — is seeing signs that 2021 is also going to be another big year for showing holiday spirit.

“We’re already getting people asking about what decorations we can do for Easter,” Stephens said.

Originally created as an off-season supplement to the landscaping business, the Texas-based franchise now brings holiday cheer to over 300 communities across North America, ultimately creating jobs for 3,000-plus seasonal workers that might otherwise be unemployed. Backed by a strong business model and double-digit revenue increase year-over-year for the last 11 years, Christmas Decor is looking to grow in markets across the U.S.