PASADENA, CA — A family of Jehovah's Witnesses continued their annual tradition of piling into the car and going for a drive to look at houses without Christmas lights.
"Wow, so bold," Genevieve Hampton, 43, breathed as she admired an undecorated house in nearby San Bernardino. "The lack of light is really beautiful."
Jehovah's Witnesses do not observe holidays or celebrate birthdays, but every year, the Hampton family enjoys taking a little drive to see houses that give no indication that any holiday observance is taking place.
"We sometimes have to drive a ways, but it's worth it," said Daryl Hampton, 45. "The kids get so excited about it that it's practically become our own little holiday. Which is bad. Come to think of it, we might have to stop."
Seeing houses devoid of Christmas decorations helps the Hamptons feel a little more normal during the most festive time of the year, one of their neighbors said.
"They politely wished me a very Merry Friday," said Lydia Truman, who has lived next door to the Hamptons for years. "I responded by saying, 'Happy Holidays,' but they ran away screaming and covering their ears."
At publishing time, the Watchtower Society released a list of the hottest houses that didn't have any Christmas lights at all for adherents to visit this month.
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