Decorum.

Having been around town of late, often walking baby dog Izzy (not such a baby anymore!), and I'm happy to report that yes, we have festivity even in the stupid state of New York. Here's some local examples. 

Aw, that's nice. A little bear to greet you as you enter. Maybe this shouldn't count, because it's in a local restaurant, and businesses are obliged to show some festivity whether they want to or not. Scrooge and Marley would feel required to put a wreath in the window if they operated now. Well, these guys chose a cute bear.

This is excellent. I believe the family did not go game last year but are making up for it this year. It's a mid-80's house done in perfect mid-80's style, complete with clerestory windows, with strings of white lights along all the lines like the edging on a cake. And of course the usual suspects on the lawn -- Santa, snowman, polar bear, etc. Makes you want to cozy down with some cocoa and pop Scrooged in the VHS player.

Angels -- what more need be said?

Meet the Treetles! 

This is a lousy picture, but the object is clever. The owners have repurposed a little girl's play kitchen as an outdoor decoration piece, with plenty of lights, a mailbox for letters to Santa, fat ornaments, and a penguin on the side. Crazy, but festive? You bet.

A little cheer on a corner lot to greet travels from any of four directions. Nothing fancy here, but a streetlight on him keeps the cheer aglow all night. 

And finally, a centerpiece sent by some friends for our Christmas table. Very thoughtful, quite lovely. Now I'll have to get the leaf out, but it's worth the trouble. Note the battery-powered candle, which is terrific as far as I'm concerned; I don't have to worry if Izzy's going to bonk the table and start a fire while we're out of the room. Hurray, technology! Much safer than those old whale-oil candles.