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In the Christmas days of yore, people braved winter weather to staple or tack their Christmas lights onto their rooftops or nearby surfaces like the fascia boards. Problems quickly emerged with that approach. Damage to the roof, even small marks from staples, provides entryways for moisture and similar issues that can hasten roof rot, wear, and associated leaks. Plus, some homes had tough fiber cement boards or other materials where staples and screws didn’t work.

The length of time shouldn’t matter much if you stick with lightweight Christmas lights and similar decorations. Those shouldn’t pose risks to your stucco. You should avoid attaching anything to your stucco that could fall because it’s too heavy, which may take part of the stucco with it. Some methods, like using double-sided tape or adhesive hooks, will naturally wear out over time and lead to falling lights, so don’t expect to leave these lights up year-round.

You can choose to hang Christmas lights on either gutters or shingles—either option is fine. If you have gutter covers, shingles may be your only option. But, all-in-one clips are designed for both applications.

It's safe to hang Christmas lights from gutters with a few considerations. First, when installing the lights, follow safe ladder-use guidelines and avoid getting onto the roof. Second, for best results and the integrity of your lights, use clips to keep the bulbs away from inside the gutters where they could run into trouble with water or ice.