Neighbor Receives Scathing Letter Insisting They 'Do Better' & Put Up More Christmas Lights
sherwood | Shutterstock Holidays and religion are a sensitive topic. Some people go all out with their holiday cheer, decorating their homes with bright, colorful lights and holiday imagery everywhere you look. Others prefer to celebrate quietly, foregoing the expensive décor and opting to keep it simple during the holiday season.
That’s exactly why one neighbor turned to the internet to share the scathing letter they received from a fellow resident who was disappointed with their lack of Christmas spirit. Apparently, if you don't go Clark Griswold in this particular neighborhood, you're basically a grinch.
A neighbor received a scathing letter insisting they put up more Christmas lights.
The letter started out on a high note, saying, “Congratulations! You’ve won the Humbug award!”
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It went on to say, “Because you have chosen to be a Grinch and not put up Christmas lights, you have disappointed all the children, young and old, in your community.” Clearly, the complaining resident takes holiday décor very seriously. They then started giving advice on how inexpensive it is to buy lights.
The letter writer told their neighbor, “LED lights are inexpensive to run and can be purchased even in second-hand stores for reasonable prices.”
The letter then went on to make assumptions about the non-festive neighbor’s finances and lifestyle, telling them that “cost is not an issue” and that they must be “too busy with their devices” to care. The note then took a nostalgic turn, asking the reader to recall how the Christmas lights on their street made them feel as a child.
The letter writer implored their neighbor to 'do better' next year and 'bring a smile to those in need.'
They reminded the recipient that it’s not too late to grab some decorations and that a little bit of effort goes a long way, advising them to “Love hard and love long.”
In the final words, the writer decided to continue to cross boundaries by telling their neighbor that other faiths put up lights, too, and that they should show pride in their religion with color.”
One person assumed the writer was elderly and said, “This just goes to show there's nothing in the world that moron boomers won't blame on technology.” Another poked fun at the irony of the person doing exactly what they complained about, stating, “How long did it take this person to find that clip art? Font choice? Text color? BUSY WITH THEIR DEVICES!”
Another commenter suggested the neighbor blow up the letter and put it on a yard sign for all of the community to see, and others took it a step further, bringing up the idea of using a projector.
There are many reasons someone might choose to forego holiday decorating, and they should never feel forced to do so.
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All in all, people were amused at the audacity of the “Karen” trying to control how their neighbor chose to celebrate the holidays. It is surprising that, in this day and age, when people are fully aware of how diverse the world is, they still try to force their culture and values on others.
According to Pew Research, 90% of Americans celebrate Christmas. But what about the 10% that don't? They are free to celebrate as they choose. What if this neighbor was grieving a loss? What if they believe consumerism ruins Christmas? What if they are disabled and can't decorate? There are so many reasons someone might choose to skip out on decorating for the holidays, and it's honestly no one else's business, especially a nosy neighbor.
People are not a monolith. What works for one person may not work for the next one. We should respect each other’s choices and allow one another to do what is best for us and us only.
NyRee Ausler is a writer from Seattle, Washington, and author of seven books. She covers lifestyle, entertainment, and news, as well as navigating the workplace and social issues.
