Competitive Xmas decoration, however (to take an example) is consumerism in display, and therefore not a folk art.

More bucolic fantasising I see, Richard! The key here is that FOLK is a secondary concept that has fuck all to do with anything - be it custom, tale, music, song, lore, film-making, art, or any of the other wonderful things FOLK might attach itself to as parasitical prefix. Folk is the simple fact that people do such things, seasonally, ceremonially, festively, ritually, by way of observance, remembrance, celebration, recreation, entertainment and devotion.

Anyway - I've sorted out my LUMINOS film which documents some of the non-competitive Christmas house lighting from in & around the Deerness Valley on the 21st December 2004, Wanking Santas and all. It's just as much about the darkness as it is about the light... a bit like Mudcat really.

Check it out: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gBKpUHFe1BU