Some time between Thanksgiving and the middle of December, most everyone in the US faces one daunting task, hanging Christmas Lights! We've all seen the movies of people falling off ladders, getting zapped by electricity, sliding off of the roof and getting caught up in the lights as one falls off the roof. While this is a common thing in most Christmas comedies, there is the phrase "all fiction is based on fact." That means that these dangers are not simply fictional.

But who doesn't want to see their house sparkling in the night, looking like an over-sized gingerbread house. There are several ways of keeping your light-hanging experience from making the pages of the next Christmas Comedy script. First things first, don't work alone! Seriously. When you have someone else with you to watch your back, you can avoid most accidents. Also, having someone there to hold the ladder still while you reach the hooks is one of the main ladder-safety rules. When you have someone with whom you can discuss random topics, it keeps you from getting bored and hasty, which leads to accidents.

Second thing on the list of safety rules: ladder usage! When you are using an old ladder, make sure all of the rungs are still secure. Don't use a ladder that is too short, too long is ok, but too short tempts you to step on the top rung that clearly states "do not step here". Move the ladder often. Don't reach because when you reach, you put yourself out of a natural balance. Loss of balance equals falling and broken bones, and half-strung lights and emergency-room bills. These are all bad things.

Lastly: Don't jimmy-rig anything, EVER! When working with electricity, don't be tempted to over-rig things with electrical tape and your wire-strippers. Seriously, they are made the way they are for a reason. Electricity is not happy when it can escape. Again, electricity escaping equals emergency room bills and half-strung lights. Have a happy Christmas and hang lights safely. Visit outdoor string lights or used party tent for further information.