Halloween Enthusiasm

Halloween display in my neighborhood.

    I drove my parents around to view Halloween displays. In some neighborhoods, front porches were festooned with holiday decor. Ghosts and skeletons hung from trees. Other neighborhoods had little to show. Maybe a pumpkin here and there.

   This streakiness applied to towns. Halloween exhibits were commonplace in my community. But over the border, in certain other towns, fewer displays were evident.
    Over the years, I’ve noticed this same phenomenon—festive neighborhoods or dull neighborhoods—applying to Christmas lights.
    Why do these visible displays appear in clusters? Perhaps the answer lies with enthusiasm. In some places, more people might be present who are enthusiastic by nature. They’re more apt to decorate their properties. Neighbors join in the fun.
    To quote Emory Ward:
    ‘Enthusiasm, like measles, mumps, and the common cold, is highly contagious.'

Another display near my home.