Christmas Scene Pictures

It's always interesting to hear the reactions to the various types of Christmas scenes people stage in their yards this time of year. The most militant reactions come from the group of people in the "tasteful" camp, whom I like to term the "tastemongers." Their idea of creating a Christmas scene is adorning a door with a wreath -- a wreath, mind you, plain as can be, except perhaps for an elegant bow and maybe, just maybe (if they were "living on the edge" the day they made their choice), a few frosted pine cones.

The opposing group falls into the "tacky" camp. I affectionately refer to them as the "tack-it-easies" because they're so at ease with their unrestrained decorating style that they wouldn't bat an eyelash if a neighbor were to criticize their Christmas scenes as tacky. No Christmas scene is viable for this group that isn't graced by an airblown inflatable presence ranging from a token snowman to a veritable army of Santa Clauses, fitted out not only with sleighs but even with tractors or motorcycles!

By the way, I conducted a poll last year to get a feel for my readers' tastes regarding Christmas scenes. Feel free to vote in the poll or voice your thoughts in the "Comments" section below.

I guess I'm somewhat eclectic in my own tastes -- not in terms of how I decorate, myself, but in terms of the Christmas scenes I like to see in other people's yards. I prefer diversity: I'm happy to drive through a "tasteful" neighborhood and admire the restraint in their decor, then hop over to a different neighborhood and be blown away by an extravaganza of glitz and glitter to the gills. I offer ideas suitable for both styles in my gallery of Christmas scene pictures.

View gallery: Christmas Scene Pictures