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Show Christmas Lights: Not Just For Holidays A research ' study, conducted con-ducted by the National Fam-. Fam-. . 1 .. ... ily. Opinion survey group, has found that 77 of American - households use holiday lights to brighten their homes during dur-ing the month of December; but, the survey also notes the specialized lights are rarely used during the other eleven months of the year. "Christmas lights are not just for the holidays", said Nancy Christensen, residential residen-tial lighting specialist for General Electric, the country's coun-try's top supplier of holiday lights. "There are a number of decorative and practical ways they can be used year-round." year-round." The GE expert recommended recom-mended several applications for holiday lighting beyond traditional ones such as in decorating de-corating a tree, or in lighting up holiday yard displays. The spot light used to illuminate il-luminate a Santa Claus display dis-play can be easily positioned to light shrubbery andor trees, providing additional safety and security to otherwise other-wise dark and vulnerable areas. The same holds true for strings of lights used in trees as additional security and property enhancement. Outdoor strands of lights of different colors can be used to mark campsites in summer, or as party lights in the backyard back-yard for cookouts. In a decorative sense, the midgets ar also nice when placed in the limbs of an indoor in-door tree or hanging plant. Strands of lights placed along a door-frame or hallway can act as a fanciful night-light night-light for the child in all of us. And, for those who wish to enhance their home furnishings furnish-ings without great trouble or expenditure, Christmas lights can be used in cases where furniture has not been designed to accommodate normal decorative lighting. "Whatever the application, basic electrical safety must be kept in mind," said Christensen. Christen-sen. "Indoor lights unlike outdoor lights are not weatherproofed, and so, must only be used indoors. Frayed or exposed wires must be properly repaired, or thrown away. The same goes for loose connections and broken or cracked sockets," she added. The GE spokesperson concluded con-cluded by explaining that insulated in-sulated tacks, not nails, tacks or brads should be used to hold lights in place, and that not more than three sets of lights be put on one extension cord. |