Christmas presents under tree – Courtesy: Shutterstock – Image by Pixel-Shot
A rigorously implemented rule that specifies when and where military families are permitted to celebrate Christmas has ordered them to take down their decorations on an air force base in Florida.
The private housing contractor Balfour Beatty Communities sent a brief memo to the residents of Tyndall Air Force Base, telling them that a de facto patrol of the installation had found early holiday inflatables, lights, and other festive decorations that violated their lease agreements.
The message, which was issued with the title “One holiday at a time,” stated, “While driving the neighborhoods yesterday, it was noticed that Christmas decorations have already begun to appear within the community.”
“All holiday decorations should be appropriate for the month in which they are placed, and no earlier than 30 days prior to the holiday in question. Please take down and replace any Yuletide decorations that are currently outside your house in compliance with your community’s rules.
The rule, which is repeated beneath the letter, states that Christmas lights can only be lit from the week following Thanksgiving—this year on November 27—until the third week of January. Additionally, they have to be dark from 11 p.m. to 6 p.m. the next day.
While some posters expressed support for the development, others expressed opposition in comments on an unofficial air force personnel Facebook page that had copied the memo.
One commentator stated, “People need to find joy however they can right now.”
“I mean, can we give Thanksgiving a chance?” another person said plainly.
In an interview with the military news website Task & Purpose, which broke the story initially, Tyndall’s public affairs chief, Capt. Justin Davidson-Beebe, attested to the directive’s legitimacy. However, he maintained that military leaders did not issue the order.
He declared, “These guidelines are not a part of a broader air force policy.” “Community standards may differ from base to base because the privatized housing management company sets them at some installations.”
The legally enforceable lease agreement that all tenants voluntarily sign outlines the community norms that are being enforced at Tyndall, he added.
Task & Purpose pointed out that even after an elaborate bill of rights was passed during the Trump administration in 2020 and signed by then-defense secretary Mark Esper and the chiefs of the army, navy, and air force, private housing management corporations continue to have significant influence over military renters.
A directive to refrain from celebrating Christmas, or at least postpone it, appears to contradict Donald Trump’s frequently asserted assertions that he has “saved” the holiday from what he would describe as awakened activists who insist on saying “Happy Holidays” rather than “Merry Christmas.”
Several of his political allies seem to support housing regulations at military facilities, even though the president has not voiced a view on the Tyndall decision.
The Atlantic revealed last month that, allegedly for their own safety, Marco Rubio, the secretary of state, Kristi Noem, the homeland security secretary, and Stephen Miller, his powerful policy adviser, had all moved into officers’ quarters at an installation in the Washington area.
It’s unclear if anyone has started hanging their Christmas decorations yet.
Make sure you are staying up-to-date with the latest and most important Florida news with Florida Insider. Whether you are interested in business, education, government, history, sports, real estate, nature, weather, or travel: we have something for everyone. Follow along for the best stories in the Sunshine State.
Chris began his writing as a hobby while attending Florida Southern College in Lakeland, Florida. Today he and his wife live in the Orlando area with their three children and dog.
