Despite my putting this blog post in their mailbox anonymously last year, the display is back up with a vengeance this year (pretty sure I spied a reindeer carcass yesterday). Between telling my kids Santa is a jackass and this less than cheery Christmas display, it is dark days around here y’all.
Dear Neighbor,
This has really gone far enough.
I consider myself to be a pretty open-minded, tolerant person when it comes to most things. I don’t really care what color your house is or whether or not you are fastidious about doing the weeding. Leave your trashcans by the curb for an extra day, sure. Forget to take your newspaper in one day, whatever.
So, I held by tongue during Halloween when you decorated your yard like a scene straight out of a nightmare even Freddy Krueger would wake screaming from. Sure, my children were scared (honestly, so was I) by the Blair Witch Project stick set-up and the actual refrigerator (with a chainsaw on top) opened to reveal disembodied fake limbs with blood dripping down the front. Yes, the stuffed Hannibal Lecter in the mask with the bars over his mouth on the wheeled dolly was creepy, but I held my tongue. Quite honestly,the tombstones all over the yard and the hands sticking up from the ground almost made me crash my car a few times, but I managed to slam on the brakes in time. I didn’t even complain when you left said decorations out until well into November. I just told my girls that some people enjoy bringing out the creepy decor for Halloween and to please just avert their eyes as we drove past every.single.day on our way to and from school.
However, I can stay silent no more.
You see, Halloween is one thing, but Christmas is something altogether different in my opinion.
You can imagine my displeasure then when I discovered what you had up your sleeve to celebrate the most wonderful time of the year.
Let me set the scene for you. The car contained my four year-old and me. We were merrily riding along listening to the radio play non-stop Christmas carols from what seems to be about November 1st through Valentine’s Day, but I digress. Now, I saw it first, and quickly said a prayer to sweet baby Jesus that my child would not. But alas, it was too late. From the backseat…
Abby: Mom, I see something strange.
Me: (trying desperately to seem totally non-plussed) Oh really, honey, what do you see?
Abby: (her voice getting just a tad higher as the emotion rises) I see red pants and black boots. Is that Santa?
Me: Um, I think so honey, but it is just a decoration.
Abby: No, it isn’t. That is the real Santa. And he is dead.
Cue the sobbing. Because of course, she was convinced that to what did her wondering eyes appear but Santa facedown, flat on the neighbor’s roof dead. Obviously, Christmas was now ruined, because how could Santa bring her presents if he was dead.
Now, y’all, I think putting a very realistic, lifelike Santa Claus on your roof as if he fell out of the chimney and died just really isn’t clever, cute or funny. I think if you know for a fact that you live in a neighborhood filled with children, and you already seem to enjoy scaring them out of their minds at Halloween, then perhaps you could lay low for Christmas.
All of us parents have enough to deal with during the month of December, so what we don’t need to add to our list is a daily explanation about the fate of Santa Claus.
Needless to say, Robert and I adopted the policy of telling our girls that the people who live in that house are clearly naughty and will quite obviously only be receiving coal in their stockings. If Santa can manage to get off their roof, I mean.
Bah Humbug,
Ashley
Oh my gosh! What a mean Christmas decoration. I think someone needs to have their house TPed. Every night until Santa comes down.
That is just plain awful and I think I would say something if it upset one or both of my girls. But that is just me, because I wouldn’t be able to keep my mouth shut. Sorry, but how awful, but the way you described did make me laugh just a bit. 🙂
This is awful. Horrible. I would march over and say something but you are way nicer than me…. I also have a horrible trait of dropping f bombs at the worst times, so… Bless your soul. I agree I will come be on a TP team, I’m not that fat away….
Is it bad that I really really want to know where this is so I can drive by and judge them in person? Without my kids in the car, of course.
Whoa, Santa needs to avoid that house like the plague. Yikes.
Wow! How inconsiderate - I don’t understand people trying to wreck things for kids. 🙁
Whaaaaat? People are sick and thoughtless. Sharing this post!
Awe, that is horrible. I hate that the poor kiddos have to see that and become all distraught over it. I am with the commenter above who said they should be TP’d every night…or if you have snow on the ground….you could also add some coloring to water and “spray paint” their white snow different colors. 🙂 That may cheer the kids up!
That is awful! I think you should call 911 and report a mean dressed like Santa dead on that person’s roof! Do you think that would shake them up?
Oh, that would be too funny!
I love that one! Don’t call 911 but the police station and report someone fell on the roof and your kids are hysterical
That’s terrible. It’s like living next to a real live Pinterest nightmare. Only worse. Poor kids. I’m guessing your neighbors don’t have any?
That is horrible! I honestly can’t understand why anyone would do such a mean spirited thing.
I will never understand why people think it’s cool to do such ridiculous things to their front yard! I guess they like the shock value. Yuck!!
WTH? That is truly horrible. And I’m such a jackass that I was reading this with my 4 year-old next to me so of course he’s like “Mommy is that Santa?” and I’m like “Yeah, I think he’s sleeping” and he shakes his head and says “No I think he’s trying to climb but he can’t!” whew!!!
OMG that is awful and I’m a moron.
I’m with Amber. I don’t think I could contain the f-bombs that would be flying outta my mouth as I ripped those a-holes a new one.
This is what a troll looks like in the light of day. Mean for no reason except to get a rise out of someone else. If they happen to creep out of their hell-hole you should smile, wave and shout Merry Christmas - that will irritate them more than the harm they are trying to cause with this display. Rotten spirits - don’t let them ruin yours!
That is a terrible decoration. Your poor daughter thinking that Santa is dead on someone’s roof. I think there should be more respect to the families in the neighborhood with kids.
Tacky doesn’t even begin to describe that. It is obvious they do not have children of their own and if they do I shudder to think of what they tell their kids about that particular decoration. Maybe you could tell her Santa is simply eavesdropping on the people because they were so scary at Halloween and he is seeing if they are really that mean.. or he was making a practice run and took a nap.. or go punch the homeowners and allow them to explain their macabre humor to your now shattered 4 year old.
That is horrible! If he placed it inside his house - who cares?
But it’s outside for the world to see which means children see it and now think he’s dead - is just wrong!!
Tacky neighbor. I say egg bomb his house….ok maybe not..but say something to him!
xoxo,
KG
Even adults would be disturbed seeing a dead Santa on someone’s roof!
I don’t understand people like that. They really are sick and twisted. Christmas is supposed to be a happy time of year. It’s supposed to be beautiful. There’s a part of me that wants to say (in my best school teacher voice), “If you can’t decorate nicely, you shouldn’t decorate at all.”
I have a lot of four-letter words coming to mind right now for this neighbor of yours. That display is just awful! And, honestly, I can handle trolls on the internet (sometimes they’re even funny) but messing with kids like this is just unconscionable!!
That’s just plain wrong. I drive a longer route to school during Halloween to avoid one of those creepy haunted house yards, but Christmas… come on. I shudder to think what’ they’ll do for Easter.
I love that you told the kids that the adults involved were on the naughty list. Perfect.
It is really awful. Honestly, even worse in person if you can imagine.
That is downright terrible!
I just don’t understand why someone would do this. Doesn’t seem very jolly at all.
Excuse me? What is wrong with these people? Thankfully Santa ONLY visits on Christmas Eve so it must have been a friend of theirs who’d forgotten about front doors.
UGH!! I can’t believe that you have to put up with neighbors like that!! You are a far kinder person than me - I would have some very choice words to say to them!!
That is awful. Funny is one thing but this is just sick and twisted. I guess there is no accounting for someone’s sense of humor or their good taste.
They can’t do that to Santa! That’s awful. Just tell the kids Santa is sleeping. It was a very late night.
Why would someone do this? Like you said, Halloween is one thing… but Christmas. What a __________!
Wow. That is seriously disturbing, on so many levels.
Why would anyone think that is funny?
They probably think they are being really funny. They were also probably bully’s in school. We all know that bully’s get coal in their stockings.
Oh my gosh! That is awfully disturbing and I am so glad you told your family that those neighbors are on the naughty list. That is the perfect response. What sickos to do that to poor Santa!!!
Yikes! This is almost abusive, what is wrong with these people? Either you get the spirit of Christmas or you don’t, don’t ruin it for little kids!
That is pretty horrible for sure. I think they have a twisted mind set when it comes to what decorations really are suppose to be about. Is there a way to fight with the township to put a stop to it?
What??! That is awful 🙁
Whoa Nelly! That’s harsh. Really harsh. I get trying to have a sense of humor, but come on! Did they really think kids would get that? Wow. And as for the Halloween décor, even that’s going a bit far….and I like an enthusiastic Halloween house.
The residents of that house should pay for the therapy for all those kids who have been traumatized by that image of Santa on the roof. I’m sure they thought it was funny, but they were wrong.
That is one of the worst things I’ve ever seen! My daughter would be so traumatized by that. No doubt they’re on the perpetual naughty list!
That’s not even funny! I’m so bummed that your daughter had to see that 🙁 i agree, they should get coals along with hot garbage and fresh dog poop in their stockings for Christmas!
This is horrible! Do you have a neighborhood organization that can go an complain? If they want to do something like this they should move out of a neighborhood and onto some acreage where they can be as idiotic as they want. Perhaps you should provide their address so we can all write letters telling them what fools they are!
That is seriously the saddest thing ever. It’s a a shame that they clearly did not have happy childhoods to find this kind if mess funny. What a shame your baby had to see it.
oh wow. Some people were raised with a twisted and sick sense of humor. I feel so sorry for any children that live in that house. To have all their dreams shattered and all their nightmares come to live right in front of them? How horrible. Too bad you don’t live in a HOA neighborhood and the whole neighborhood watch can kick them them out and have a truck pull up empty their house and tell them they can’t live there anymore. 🙂
Oh, that is a terrible thing for children to see. We had a Santa window decoration once where he would hang out the window like he was stuck. After a couple of parents mentioned how upset their children got seeing Santa “stuck” we took it down and never put if up again. Too bad the people in that house wouldn’t do the same.
That is just warped. What a sick sense of humor. Shame on them.
Yeah, the naughty list is definitely where this family belongs for sure!
I remember you posting this last year. I can’t believe they did it again!! Some people are just twisted. Sorry you have to put up with this…again!
Oh my goodness! Now don’t get me wrong I am all for scaring the kiddos on Halloween. I actually quite enjoy it but the scene you set out for me, well that too me is just too far! It was taken from fun, child-friendly scare to giving adults nightmares scare! Not cool and then to have Santa dead on the roof! I mean I get the humor but like you said when you live in a neighborhood geared towards families and children. You have to take that into consideration! I feel your frustration! ~Leah~
is this for real? frankly, i would call the non-urgent police line and have them talk to the owners. this is so awful and upsetting. and this is coming from a girl who didn’t really grow up with santa claus and doesn’t really have an attachment to saint nick. whoever did this has zero christmas spirit and should be reprimanded!
Oh, come on!! Are you all kidding?? This is hilarious!! My kids and I would have laughed our heads off at this when they were young.
I thought you were supposed to be a funny blog!! You sound like an uptight blog.