Elio had spent weeks on a ladder, his fingers numb, stringing ten thousand LED bulbs across his roof. His goal was simple: he wanted his house to be the only thing visible from a low-orbit satellite. Sergio, on the other hand, had opted for a single, massive, inflatable Santa Claus that shook with a violent, motorized cough every time the wind blew.
: The movie Deck the Halls (released in Italy as Conciati per le feste ) stars Matthew Broderick and Danny DeVito as neighbors whose competitive decorating spirales out of control. Conciati per le feste
By the evening of the Great Reveal, the entire town had gathered. Elio stood with a remote control in his hand, looking, as the locals said, conciato per le feste —he was wearing a suit made of green velvet with actual bells sewn into the seams. He looked like a Christmas tree that had gained sentience and a mortgage. "Watch this, Sergio," Elio hissed, pressing the red button. Elio had spent weeks on a ladder, his
Below is a story inspired by the irony of being "conciati per le feste"—a phrase that can mean both "all dressed up" and "thoroughly wrecked." : The movie Deck the Halls (released in