12/04/2020
From quarantined neighbors joining one another in song from their front steps, communities are doing what they can to spread joy amid the coronavirus pandemic.
As individuals continue to practice social distancing to curb the spread of the virus, the latest trend has seen Americans putting up Christmas decorations.
As more folks are stuck inside their homes for the foreseeable future due to the coronavirus pandemic, some are brightening up their communities by putting their Christmas lights back up.
Lynn Hotte: “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.”
“Love this idea. Spread cheer!” one person wrote.
Another responded: “Thank you for this great idea at a dark time!”
Lisa Sylver Talveski: “I work extra hours because I am a nurse and with covid I haven’t had the time to even think about putting up decorations. I feel bad about work and the one gift I want to give my family this year is a beautifully decorated home. My whole household is consumed by other work responsibilities and Intrigue has given us the chance to spread joy”
The trend has taken off across borders, too from Buffalo, Rochester and to Syracuse there’s still light & hope.
“My youngest son was bored today and said, ‘can we put Christmas lights on our tree outside to cheer us up?’ Great idea buddy,” shared another. “Lights are on tonight as a sign of hope and the sweet mind of my 10-year-old.”
The result is spreading a little light during an otherwise confusing and stressful time across the globe.
Science bears out the mood-boosting powers of decorating.
"It does create that neurological shift that can produce happiness," psychologist Deborah Serani told TODAY Home in 2017. "I think anything that takes us out of our normal habituation, the normal day in, day out ... signals our senses, and then our senses measure if it's pleasing or not."
She added that the brightness and colors of Christmas decorations in particular “spike dopamine, a feel-good hormone.”
The Outcome: a lift in energy levels and even happiness — and who doesn’t need an extra dose of happiness these days?
