MORE ARE GETTING INTO CHRISTMAS SPIRIT WITH DECORATIONS

With 23,000 lights, 55 large Christmas yard ornaments and 200 candy canes in their yard, it's hard to miss the home of the Rev. John and Pat Rice near Oak Street and East Lane in Jackson.The front yard has a near life-size manger scene, a large "Keep Christ in Christmas" sign and light-bedecked wire outlines of a church and horse-drawn carriage. Around back are the secular Christmas items, including several large, glowing plastic Santas and a lighted helicopter with blinking lights that make it appear the rotors are turning."I do it for personal satisfaction and to watch others get enjoyment from it," said John Rice, a music evangelist, explaining why he's spent more than three weeks a year for the last four or five years wiring, testing and setting up this yard-size wonderland of lights.But this year, he's getting more competition. Driving through Cape Girardeau and Jackson, the holiday decorations are everywhere. Some houses may only have a wreath on the door or garlands along railings. Others may have wooden cutouts of reindeer or Santa. Many have lights strung along roof lines or large and lighted displays in the yard."We've noticed an increase in the number of people decorating this year," Rice said.It seems that if one person in a neighborhood puts up lights, more follow."It seems to be contagious," Rice said.If sales of Christmas decorations are any indication, Rice is right. Stores that sell outside decorations say sales are up from last year."The economy is good and people are in the decorating mood," said Tyler Russom, co-manager at Lowe's in Cape Girardeau.The nice weather we've had lately also helps, says Marshia Eaton, who lives on Westfield in Cape Girardeau. Lighted wire sculptures of Santa and two reindeer are set up in one part of the yard. There's a glowing plastic Santa and plastic snowman by the side door. Signs offering "Seasons greetings" are hung in the trees, and there are lots of lights, around the house, down the walk, in the trees."We always decorate, but I think we did more this year than usual," Eaton said. "It puts you in a more festive mood."Like many people, Eaton said her family adds new decorations every year.The Rices this year added a 14-foot tall, 12-foot-wide archway with "Merry Christmas" at the top.Royal and Verna Dell Petzold, whose home on Route B northwest of Oak Ridge is a mecca for those who like to see Christmas lights, have added two angels to their decorations that include 15,000 lights, eight lighted trees, a large manger scene and chasing lights strung in a ditch so it looks like running water.Petzold said her husband and son David have been working on setting up the decorations for several weeks and should have them on by next week.Not everyone wants to devote that much time to setting up their decorations. Many are taking advantage of new products that take much of the work out of decorating, and that may be a reason decorations in people's yards are growing more elaborate, said Bruce Bundy, department manager of the seasonal area at Wal-Mart.One of these products is a spiral tree, he said. The item consists of spiraled wire strung with lights that you stake to the ground, pull up to the top of a pole and the spirals unwind to create a tree-looking decoration.He said the spiral trees sold much better than the wire-frame trees where people had to string their own lights.Bundy said vine reindeer that were already strung with lights sold much better than those with no lights even though the lighted ones were more expensive."People like things that are easy to decorate with," Bundy said. "They want to plug it in and be done with it."Customers also tend to buy new items to add to their collections, Russom said. For instance a new item at Lowe's this year was an animated reindeer whose head bobbed up and down."Even at $99.97, we sold all we had, except for one display model," Russom said. "People want something new, something everyone else doesn't have."And they're willing to spend money to decorate. "It's nothing to see people spend $100 at a time on decorations," Russom said.Russom, who recently bought decorations for his own house, offered ideas for those just starting out.He said most people are going for icicle lights, strands of lights that are strung along the roof line with dangling lights that resemble icicles. You'll need five or six or more strands of those, depending on the size of your house. You'll also need some gutter clips to attach the lights to the edge of the roof and one or two yard ornaments. Popular ornaments include molded plastic snowmen and Santas, lighted wire Santas and reindeer made of vines.Expect to spend $125 to $150 that first year, then $50 or $60 to replace lights and add new decorations each year after. Of course, some people spend more, much more.Rice said he's probably spent several thousand dollars over the years for Christmas decorations for his yard. It's an investment he's happy with."It's our gift to the community," he said. "Lots of people make this a regular stop when they are looking at lights."

WHICH WILL BE THE BEST?

The Holiday of Lights contest judges the best home and business holiday displays in Cape Girardeau. To enter, pick up an entry form at the Cape Girardeau Convention and Visitors Bureau or Chamber of Commerce, then have your house decorated and the lights on during judging from 6 to 8 p.m. Dec. 6.Once winners have been selected, the Convention and Visitors Bureau will put together a map showing winners and will sponsor a Holiday of Lights Bus Tour Dec. 17 and 18. Cost is $1 per person. Tickets are available at the Convention and Visitors Bureau, 100 Broadway. Call 335-1631 for more information.