Military families displaced from Tyndall Air Force Base in Florida are frantically removing their Christmas decorations. They’ve been given orders to get it done by Christmas-time at the latest. The order’s roll out has led to confusion, controversy, and wariness among Denver residents. It’s based in a military regulation that governs the time, place, and manner of holiday celebrations on the base.
The ordinance says that holiday decorations should be appropriate to the month they depict. You’re not allowed to show them greater than 30 days in advance of the observed holiday. In particular, the delivery and use of Christmas lights is restricted from the week after Thanksgiving through the third week of January. Thanksgiving will fall on November 27 this year. Thus, the restriction took effect on that date and will continue in effect through January 21, 2024.
Capt. Justin Davidson-Beebe, Tyndall’s public affairs chief, attributed the enforcement of this regulation to a shifting culture. He was sure to clarify that these guidelines aren’t indicative of a broader Air Force policy. Rather, they are reasonable community standards set forth in the lease agreement that residents voluntarily sign.
“They are enforcing the community standards outlined in the legally binding lease agreement all residents voluntarily sign.” – Capt Justin Davidson-Beebe
The rule prohibiting all use of holiday decorations at any time is too broad. Additionally, no decorations are allowed to be illuminated between the hours of 11 PM and 6 AM the following morning. A new resident communication — “One holiday at a time” — was dispatched to help support these smooth operating parameters. Residents reacted with frustration and anger at the timing of such a directive.
Residents reported noticing that Christmas decorations had started going up around the community even before the order was issued. This has resulted in a contentious rollout, with many commentators expressing their disapproval on social media. As one commentator implored, “People should be seeking joy in any way humanly possible right now!” Yet a third hit back at the whole premise by wondering, “Could we just allow Thanksgiving to happen?”
The decoration ban has been the most widely discussed provision. This is particularly interesting in light of former President Donald Trump’s similar historical declarations about “saving Christmas.” Perhaps most significantly, Trump’s Department of Defense has remained silent on the Tyndall directive. Half of Trump’s political appointees have taken up residence in officers’ quarters on a military base outside the Washington Beltway. Perhaps they did this out of concern for public safety.
The base’s directive is indeed puzzling, as it further exposes the extreme divergence between the base’s orders and Trump’s celebratory trumpet-blowing while in office.