People are still struggling with the pandemic, and in some cases, it seems as if it is getting more difficult as time goes on. A small town in the UK has decided to do something about it, lifting people’s spirits by turning on the Christmas lights in February.
The beach town, named Tankerton, recognizes that people are having a difficult time as the lockdowns continue. According to Mirror, officials turned on the Christmas lights because locals voted that they wanted them turned back on.
This isn’t something that just came out of the blue. A local organization, known as the Talk of Tankerton, is organized by businesses in the area and they are the ones who turn on the Christmas lights every year. According to Mirror, the co-founder of the organization, Julie Corke, said that people were so happy with the Christmas lights during the holiday season that it just seemed like the thing to do to keep things bright during the lockdown.
An initial target of around $360 was set, but the group ended up raising $2,100. Enough money was earned that it may be possible to keep the lights on until the end of 2021.
It isn’t just the lights that make the town beautiful. Heavy snow blanketed the area recently, helping to add to the look.
The group had the following to say on the page associated with the JustGiving campaign: “The Talk of Tankerton team fundraise throughout the year to pay for the Christmas lights in Tankerton High Street. These are installed, powered, and maintained by the team and the Tankerton traders. This year, we have switched our lights back on to add some sparkle to lockdown. Quite a few people have asked how they can contribute towards the cost of the lights, so we have set up a crowdfunding page. Any additional money will go towards our 2021 Christmas display.”
This isn’t the first time that people turned back on Christmas lights in the off-season. Aside from “Christmas in July,” 2020 was the year when many areas kept the Christmas lights burning during the off-season.
Good Morning America talked about how the hashtag #lightsforlife was popular and people were posting pictures of their homes with the lights turned on.