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.

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."

Elio looked at his dark house, then at his ridiculous bells. He started to laugh—a weary, jagged sound. "It was too much, wasn't it?"