Minnesota: Show Us Your Best Holiday Lights

MINNEAPOLIS, MN — In Minnesota, December brings cold weather and short days. But it also brings rows of sparkling houses and village greens lit up by giant Christmas trees; it's the ultimate way to spread holiday cheer.

That's why we'll be showing off the best, brightest and Patchiest hometown holiday lights this year. If you've transformed your front lawn into a full-blown North Pole, or if your display puts Clark Griswold's to shame, we want to see it!

Here's what to do:

#1 Hit record

Take a quick video of your house or storefront's holiday lights. When making your videos, be sure to keep these simple tips and tricks in mind:

• Keep your video short and sweet — no longer than 1:15, to be exact.
• Hold your camera or phone steady by keeping your elbows tucked to your sides.
• Be careful not to move the camera around quickly. Hold a shot for at least 5 seconds so we can take in the details!

#2 Press Send

Email your video to us at submissions@patch.com. Each submission MUST include:

• Your Patch town in the subject line
• Your name in the email
• Any and every detail you can give us describing your submission!

#3 See your video featured on the Patch

We'll be featuring our favorite submissions on Patch.com and on Facebook all through December, so whether you'll be home for the holidays or are wishing you could be, you can get a proper dose of holiday cheer from towns all over the country. Happy Holidays!

Note: By submitting video you are granting Patch permission to publish that video on all of its domains and outlets.

Need giftspiration? Check out Patch's 2017 Holiday Gift Guide

Photo credit: AP Photo/Kathy Willens