Are Most Missouri & Illinois Christmas Decorations Illegal?

Is it really possible that nearly all of the pretty Christmas lights you see are actually illegal? Some say there are new laws that make lights many have used for years in Missouri and Illinois against the law. There is some truth to what they say, but the answer is beneath the surface.

I have seen this question get asked on Reddit. They're noticing that they're seeing less and less of a certain kind of Christmas decoration.

What happened to incandescent lights?
byu/scarlet_starlette inchristmas

Are incandescent Christmas lights in Missouri and Illinois breaking the law?

It is true that the federal government banned incandescent light bulbs as of last August. But, if you read the fine print, you'll see a very important exception. Verify This noted that those in Missouri and Illinois that use older incandescent Christmas lights are NOT breaking the law as the EPA only banned the types of lights that are not energy efficient for regular home lighting. Christmas lights are exempt. 

Somewhere, there's someone named Clark in an Illinois suburb who's celebrating right now.

Not only can you still use your traditional old Christmas lights, there is one home in Crestwood, Missouri which is being hailed as one of the greatest Clark Griswold tributes ever.

I will admit that I was fooled by claims that the feds had banned incandescent Christmas lights because that sounds like something ridiculous that our government would do, but in this case they're innocent and have actually used common sense for once to allow the types of lights most of us still enjoy.