The Reason People Are Putting Their Christmas Lights Back Up

Good news for those of us who never took down our holiday lights in the first place — it's time to put them back up! The newest trends sweeping social media and the Twitterverse currently involve putting your holiday lights back up and turning them on to shed a little light into darker times. Says Instagrammer Carson Jean, "Putting up my Christmas lights as a reminder to everyone that there is always light in the darkness. And that even though everything is so sad and scary right now there is still plenty of good."

The trend appears to have started with Milwaukee Brewers radio broadcaster Lane Grindle (via The Denver Channel). "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 tweeted his idea on Sunday, March 15, and it caught on like wildfire. 

But if Christmas isn't your thing, don't feel left out! We're all treading through new territory right now, and there is no etiquette yet established. We can create our own "Spring of Illumination" holiday that runs for as many weeks as we need it to. Basically, don't feel limited to Hannukah or winter decorations. Break out that pumpkin and fill your yard with light-up Halloween ghosts. Are Easter-egg lights a thing? Because they should be. Add some fearsome dragons and colorful lanterns to celebrate the Chinese New Year twice, or drape everything in color Holi-style (after all, it is spring). Go ahead and decorate an apple tree with shamrock lights if that's what makes you happy — the idea is simply to share joy, beauty, and solidarity.

Whatever you choose, remember to send the light far and wide. Users are sharing their sparkling efforts with hashtags including #LightsForLife and #CoronaKindess — and we can't wait to see what you add too.