Florida Air Force Base Orders Military Families to Remove Christmas Decorations
by David Lindfield
Military families stationed at Tyndall Air Force Base in Florida were stunned this week after receiving a strict directive ordering them to take down their Christmas decorations.
The base ordered residents to remove all decor, even simple lights, because they had been put up “too early.”
The notice was issued by private housing contractor Balfour Beatty Communities.
It warned residents that early displays violated the company’s lease rules and must be removed immediately.
The memo, titled “One holiday at a time,” informed families that a patrol through the neighborhood had already “noticed that Christmas decorations have already begun to appear within the community.”
“All holiday decorations should be reflective in their respective months and not any sooner than 30 days before the given holiday,” it stated.
“If you currently have Yuletide decor present on the outside of your home, please remove it and reinstall it in accordance with your community guidelines.”
Under the posted rules, Christmas lights cannot be lit until the week after Thanksgiving, November 27 this year, and must be turned off at 11 p.m. every night.
Families Push Back: ‘People Need Joy However They Can Find It’
The memo quickly sparked debate among service members and their families on a Facebook page for Air Force personnel.
Some supported holding off holiday decorations, but many slammed the rule as needless and joyless.
“People need to find joy however they can right now,” one commenter wrote.
Another joked: “I mean, can we give Thanksgiving a chance?”