Journal · 10 articles
Holiday Traditions
Western PA Christmas culture, displays and how lights fit in.
Holiday Traditions · 7 min
Grandparents' Houses and Holiday Lights That Mark Them
A grandparent's house often has a signature light style that stays in a family's memory. Here is why, and how to keep that house lit as ladders get harder.
Holiday Traditions · 7 min
The Christmas Eve Drive Through the Neighborhood
The slow Christmas Eve drive past the neighborhood's best-lit houses is a Western PA ritual on its own. Here is what makes a display stand out from a passenger seat.
Holiday Traditions · 7 min
Traditions a Permanent Lighting System Keeps Alive
A permanent RGBWW system does not replace holiday tradition, it protects it from the things that usually end it: a renovation, an injury, a busy season.
Holiday Traditions · 6 min
The First Snow and the First Lights of the Season
The first snow of the season and the first lit rooflines tend to arrive together in Western PA. Here is how that timing shapes install season.
Holiday Traditions · 7 min
Light Displays Worth the Drive in Western PA
From downtown squares to neighborhood drive-throughs, Western PA has several categories of holiday displays worth a night out. Here is how to find them.
Holiday Traditions · 6 min
The Front Porch in December: Western PA's Stage
The front porch does more decorating work than any other part of a Western PA home in December. Here is why, and how to light one well.
Holiday Traditions · 7 min
Holiday Lights and Hometown Pride in River Towns
In Allegheny River towns like Kittanning, holiday lighting is tied to hometown pride, not just decoration. Here is how that shows up on Main Street and beyond.
Holiday Traditions · 7 min
Decorating Timelines: Thanksgiving to Epiphany
A week-by-week look at how Western Pennsylvania decorates for the holidays, from the Thanksgiving weekend kickoff through takedowns that begin every January 4.
Holiday Traditions · 8 min
How Christmas Lighting Became a Service, Not a Chore
Christmas lighting shifted from a family Saturday project to a booked professional service over roughly three decades. Here is how that happened.
Holiday Traditions · 7 min
Western PA Christmas Light Traditions Explained
Western PA Christmas lighting favors warm white and red-and-green, rooted in mill towns and rowhouses, with takedowns starting January 4 each year.