In the most modern-day version of keeping up with Jones' homeowners are spending a fortune decorating their houses with billions of dollars worth of Christmas lights - and that doesn't include the electricity costs to power them.

I have childhood memories of being taken into the city for an evening to view the Christmas store windows. Or, we would drive around the block excitedly pointing out who had a christmas tree illuminating the living room.

But all that's been done away with as people began to emulate this at home and have now surpassed it in a big way. The festivities are no longer confined to a few lights dangling 'round an outdoor conifer.

Today, decorating your home includes mechanical sculptures, inflatable illuminated Santas and tons of fairy lights adorning every edge of the house and roof. Some overzealous residents even install fog machines, images cast onto walls, fences and roofs via an LCD projector, and all set to surround sound music systems.

Not content with just fancying the pad up a little some homeowners have begun employing companies to come and install, uninstall and store the complete package. Starting from $1000 these businesses can create something that your neighbours and the entire neighbourhood will be completely jealous.

And the point is?

Consumerism gone insanely mad. Ask these people who wittingly spend in excess of $10k redesigning their luminous landscapes each year to give the money to the poor instead and I'm not sure it would taken with much appreciation.

As a society, I think this is one of those moments where we sit and shake our collective heads, trying to seek meaning from a festivity that's now devoid of any.

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