Some people send Christmas cards. Some bake their neighbors cookies. And some bedazzle every inch of their house with blinking, twinkling lights synchronized to music and fill their yard with Santas, elves, reindeer and various Christmas characters.

Any of those folks are doing their part to share holiday joy. But the latter are really providing a vital public service.

Ever since the pandemic, when people were starving for fun and connection, Maine has seen an increase in over-the-top home holiday light displays. Many families advertise their spectacles on Facebook with photos and videos. Some provide music via a home FM transmitter, blasting holiday tunes into people’s car radios.

And in the true spirit of the holidays, these home displays are free. You can just drive by and gawk, or get out and really drink in the winter wonderland in front of you. Some families accept donations for various charities and causes. Below is a list of some of the impressive home holiday displays in southern and central Maine this season, including information to find even more.

CUMBERLAND

Chandler Manor Haunt and Holly Daze, 208 Middle Road

Jay and Rebecca Chandler not only decorate and light up their house, they project a holiday movie onto the house, with accompanying music on 90.3 FM. They have more than 50 large decorations in the yard and Santa with his reindeer on the roof. This year, the projection show is a journey to the North Pole, showing what Santa does to get ready for his big night. It runs roughly 10-15 minutes. The “haunt” in their attraction’s name comes from the fact that they start decorating in October, for Halloween. The couple began their holiday extravaganza — as many other people did — in 2020.

GRAY

Campbell Shore Christmas, 181 Campbell Shore Road

The Beaudoin family started doing an animated light show at their home about four years ago, with music broadcast from a household transmitter on 90.5 FM. Another family member’s house next door is part of the display. There are some 3,000 lights that can be programmed to any color, with another 2,000 traditional lights. There are some 22 individual props, too. There’s a Facebook page for the display with a schedule and a musical playlist. The tunes this year include “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer,” “Frosty the Snowman” and “It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year.”

LIMINGTON

Quinlan Family Lights, Boothby Road

This display about a mile off Route 25 doesn’t have music, but the sheer number and scope of lights is amazing. The ranch style house is literally covered with lights, to the point where it looks like it’s made out of candy. There are several giant inflatables, including reindeer and movie characters. There’s a blinking Santa and his sleigh on the roof, plus arches and light strings and light-covered trees all over the yard.

LITCHFIELD

Weeks’ Christmas Light Show, 188 Small Road

The people running this home lights and music display, airing on 88.7 FM, are accepting donations to the Kennebec Valley Humane Society and the PALS Cat Shelter in Winthrop. The house, yard, fence and several large trees are covered in blinking and flashing lights, and lit-up characters and creatures.

MONMOUTH

Monmouth Lights, 74 Warren Road

This home has lights synchronized to music, on 91.7 FM. Windows, doors and rooflines are framed with lights, and lights can be seen flashing from some windows. There are beams of light poking into the night sky, too. There’s a Santa Mailbox where people can make donations to local causes.

OLD ORCHARD BEACH

Elm Street Lights, 3 Elm St.

Mathew Doughty and Jordan Cadorette started their home lights display in 2020, to bring some joy and light to the neighborhood during a dark time. There are some 25,000 lights on the house, trees, yard and various lit-up fixtures, like candy canes, stars and and arches. The lights are synchronized to music on 93.3 FM. Donations to the Barbara Bush Children’s Hospital are accepted, as are donations for the Animal Refuge League of Greater Portland.

SOUTH PORTLAND

Laberge Lights, 88 Pitt St.

Tim Laberge began decorating and bedazzling his family’s home with holiday lights more than 25 years ago, with his father. Laberge, who was 8 or 9 at the time, had seen all the lights on trees in nearby Mill Creek Park and asked his father if they could do something similar. The display has been growing every year since, but really ramped up in 2020 during the pandemic, the year Laberge’s father passed away. Now, the small Cape-style house is a South Portland landmark, covered in lights and the yard filled with light-up characters from holiday cartoons and specials, including “A Charlie Brown Christmas” and “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer.” There are more than 50 characters in all. There’s a 70-foot-tall maple tree strung with lights using a cherry picker and a photo op area, where people can sit on a bench under an arch and have their picture taken.

WATERVILLE

The Maineiac Lighthouse, 39 Franklin St.

This house on a dead-end street features a light show synchronized to music, on 94.3 FM. The shows feature seven songs running a total of 24 minutes, and can be seen most nights from 4:30 p.m.-9 p.m., 10 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays. The house is outlined in lights, as are trees, arches and other props in the yard. Last year a highlight was all the lights dancing to “You’re a Mean One, Mr. Grinch” by Darius Rucker. The masters of the lighthouse ask on Facebook that people don’t block driveways and turn off headlights.

WATERVILLE/WINSLOW AREA

Central Maine Light Up The Town Map, various locations

Here’s a great way to find a couple dozen or more decked out houses and businesses. It’s the map compiled as part of the 5th Annual Central Maine Light Up the Town Competion. This year’s map has houses or businesses listed in Benton, Winslow, Waterville, Oakland, Fairfield and Vassalboro. The map includes addresses and tells you which places have synchronized lights and which have music. The houses on the map are competing in three categories: business, residential and synchronized residential. Judging will be done by kids involved in Scouting America. Prizes include trophies and TVs.