Light in the Darkness: Americans Hang Christmas Lights to Spread Joy During COVID-19 Outbreak
Even though three months have passed since Christmas, Americans are bringing back the most wonderful time of the year to spread joy in their neighborhoods during the COVID-19 outbreak.
People have been hanging their Christmas lights up again as a way to spread hope while maintaining social distance.
Lane Grindle, a broadcaster for the Milwaukee Brewers baseball team, suggested on Sunday that doing so would make for a fun and safe activity during this time of emergency.
“What if we all put our Christmas lights back up?” Grindle tweeted. “Then we could get in the car and drive around and look at them. That seems like a fair social distancing activity.”
What if we all put our Christmas lights back up? Then we could get in the car and drive around and look at them. That seems like a fair social distancing activity.
— Lane Grindle (@lanegrindle) March 15, 2020
Many Americans responded to the idea with enthusiasm, posting pictures of their redecorating in the comments.
Watson Louisiana is in! pic.twitter.com/iEu5MTWmIE
— Amanda Boudreaux (@Aboudreaux13) March 18, 2020
My #christmaslights are back up!#CoronaKindness #lightsforhope#NorthDakota pic.twitter.com/Zj4JuqNpTb
— Kathleen Morton (@MortonKathleen) March 19, 2020
For many, the decorations serve as a beacon of hope.
Sound On. Lights On. Hearts lifted. ❤️ We had our first confirmed case of #COVID19 in Cheatham County, Tennessee today. Our response is to be the light, and stay home! #FlattenTheCurve y’all. Have yourself a Merry Little Quarantine. ?#CoronaVirusChallenge #christmaslights #love pic.twitter.com/HmkTCm5O2Q
— Brenda Sparks (@theatreartist) March 19, 2020
Some Americans are using their lights to display their patriotism.
Here’s my house!#nomoreCV #Godhelpus pic.twitter.com/4KmUiQY2tX
— Susan G. Collier (@susangcollier) March 19, 2020
Folks abroad have also joined in to spread holiday cheer amidst the widespread fear of the virus.
#EastHantsNS Is spreading some cheer during this difficult time by turning on our #christmaslights. #lightsforlove #NovaScotiastrong pic.twitter.com/6DkwxbIp9P
— Julie Mont-Speichts (@JulieSpeichts) March 19, 2020
Unfortunately, not everyone will be able to partake in the festivities, as Fox News noted. So far, California, New York, Connecticut and Illinois have all issued similar mandates asking residents to stay home save for essential travel, and other states may follow suit.
But if nothing else, that makes these small demonstrations of hope and community all the more important as America continues to grapple with coronavirus.
According to Johns Hopkins, there were nearly 20,000 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the United States and at least 260 deaths as of Saturday morning. President Trump has not banned domestic travel, but has asked Americans to avoid “discretionary travel” through at least the end of March, according to USA Today.
In spite of all this, these Christmas light displays serve as another example of the resilience of Americans. Ingenuity and creativity have always been a hallmark of the American people, particularly when their backs are up against the wall.
Putting up decorations is a very small action, but it serves as a beacon of hope and courage — the United States is determined to weather the effects of the coronavirus pandemic and come out of it stronger.
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