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15 Things Everyone Does When Putting Up Christmas Lights

One dead bulb. Two hours. Zero regrets (okay, a few regrets).

By the Buzzuh TeamNovember 10, 2026

Every year it starts with a dream of a glowing, magical house. Every year it ends with you on a ladder, holding a knot of wires, wondering where it all went wrong. If you've ever decorated for the holidays, you've done every one of these.

1.You swear you packed them neatly last year

You remember wrapping them carefully. You open the box and find one giant, tangled ball that looks like it was stored by a raccoon. Past you lied.

2.You plug them in before doing anything else

Lesson learned. Nobody is hanging 200 feet of lights only to find out half of them are dead. Not again.

3.One strand works and the next one doesn't

Same box. Same year. Same store. One lights up like a dream, and the other just sits there, dark and silent, refusing to explain itself.

4.You go hunting for the one bad bulb

You wiggle every single bulb, one by one, like a detective. Forty minutes later you give up and buy a new strand. The old one goes back in the box "just in case."

5.There is never an outlet where you need one

The perfect spot for the lights is exactly 3 feet farther than your extension cord can reach. Every single year.

6.The extension cords multiply

Cord plugs into cord plugs into cord. By the end, your yard looks like a very festive science fair project.

7.Someone holds the ladder and gives "helpful" advice

"A little to the left. No, your other left. Actually, it was better before." Thank you so much for your input.

8.You run out of lights 2 feet before the end

The roofline is so close to done. One tiny gap is left, and now you need to decide if anyone will notice. (They will. You will.)

9.The white-vs.-colorful debate starts again

Classic warm white or every color of the rainbow? Families have been split on this for generations, and it will not be settled today.

10.You step back to admire them and they're crooked

From the roof, they looked perfect. From the driveway, one side is noticeably droopier. You decide it's "charming."

11.You suddenly care what the neighbors are doing

You were going to keep it simple. Then you saw the house down the street with 10,000 lights and a dancing snowman. Now it's personal.

12.Your hands are frozen, but you refuse to wear gloves

Gloves are too bulky for those tiny clips. So you suffer, bravely, with fingers that no longer bend.

13.The cat or dog "helps"

Somebody is batting the cord, sitting on the box or carrying a strand away like it's a prize. Holiday spirit looks different for everyone.

14.You flip them on for the first time and feel like a hero

After all that stress, the house lights up and you just stand there in the cold, grinning. Totally worth it. Probably.

15.You promise you'll take them down right after New Year's

That's the plan, anyway. Some of us know they'll still be up at Valentine's Day, and we've made our peace with it.

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