Nashauna Drummond, Staff Reporter

The Turtle River Park in Ocho Rios, St. Ann is lit up in spectacular fashion for the season. - Roger Robinson/Freelance Photographer

You may want your house to be the talk of the town this year so here are a few tips to achieve that safely and with some level of cost cutting.

Dangling pepper lights twinkle at almost every window. Reindeer, Santa and the crew take up their positions between huge plastic candles on pristine lawns for a whole month. Yes, it's that season again one of the most popular, when everyone gets into the mood of the Christmas season.

And Christmas is not complete without decorations. Houses everywhere look spectacular - from Portmore residents who actually compete for best decorated house prizes to several palatial residences in upper St. Andrew. Motorists and photographers pause in traffic to drink it all in. Some are extravagant, some modest, and some simply bizarre; but all are in keeping with the spirit of the season. Christmas time is just not festive without the pepper lights, the tree, the ornaments and garlands, reindeer on their sleigh, and the best of all, Mr. Santa with his sidekick Mr. Frosty. But, keeping it all in the light generates a hefty light bill at the end of the month. Regardless of the expense, many endure it.

HISTORY

But how did all this dazzling light and colour show come about? Like most traditions, there are many stories. One is that in the 7th Century, a monk came to Germany to spread the word of God. He brought with him a tree for the people to decorate claiming that its triangular shape represents God the Father, Jesus the Son and the Spirit. Originally, the Christmas tree was decorated with simple, white candles. Around 1610, they began to add tinsel to the tree. Originally, tinsel was made with pure silver.

Eventually, the Christmas tree made its way to England where it began to be more ornate with glass beads and hand-sewn snowflakes, and then it made its way to America in the 1800s. This was where things got really elaborate. In America, the invention of injection mould plastics made way for less expensive ornaments and provided more variety. And so evolved the Christmas tree as we know it today.