Christmas Villages Are Illegal

Christmas villages are a staple of many household decorations this time of year. They usually depict something like a small snowy town, filled with festivities and arranged around shared spaces or a town square. Many have a decidedly European flavor.

Some exist in real life:

Like Aarhus, Denmark, where I was in August (it was warmer then!)

Or Colmar, France

Or in Strasbourg, France

Or closer to home, in Leavenworth, Washington

Unfortunately, many of the same people who pine over these pictures, fly to these places, or place figurines in a just-so arrangement to re-create the holiday magic, also show up to public meetings demanding:

1. More parking for each development

2. Wider roads to “help” with traffic

3. Forcing multifamily homes to be sited on bigger, busier roads

4. Setbacks and other rules that separate our living spaces

5. Separation of commercial from residential

6. Prioritization of car access over pedestrian spaces near retail

And so we get to live in these:

And then if we need something, we have to get in a car and drive to:

A strip Mall for quick, daily needs (this one is in Lake City, in Seattle)

Or for more ambitious shopping, an actual mall (this one is Tacoma Mall)

(This is Olympia’s Capital Mall from above)

All I want for Christmas is to legalize Christmas villages.