Walking Down the Hall

All over the country now, in cities and villages and towns, even out in the farmlands, people are decorating their houses and lawns for Christmas, some very tastefully, some exuberantly, some ostentatiously and some so over the top it's totally maniacal. I don't know if people are being more restrained this year because of the recession or if they have the majority of their displays saved year after year.
In apartment buildings there may be as much local variation as there are out in the housing developments. The very large apartment building I lived in NYC had such a variety of people of so many religions and nonreligions that there was very little display, a few wreaths. Trees were no visible, of course, until they were discarded by the trash cans late in December or early Janaury.
In this apartment building people have displays by their doors all year round, sometimes seasonal and sometimes just individual. Now the Christmas displays are out in all their cuteness or taste -- mostly the latter. The topmost photo is of a simple tree quilted in red and white. I like it's naivette. This contrasts sharply with the very expensive silver wreath of a woman who decortes differently, and expensively, for every holiday.
Then there's terminally cute set of little critters -- are they supposed to be chipmunks? -- in a pseudo nativity scene. Perhaps burning at the stake for heresy is extreme, but incinartion of the set up would cheer me. I'd have to include the Micky and Minny that sit below the nativity, smug Mouse-ter Claus and Min-ess Claus. The actual door behind this display is outlined in twinkling lights which, happily, are turned on only from noon onward.

And, these are not all the examples. These are just on my floor and my little portion of the large H that this building forms. I have other photos too banal to even copy hee. I am almost afraid to venture beyond the center of the building to the other leg of the H or to go to either of the upper floors.