Everyone loves Christmas lights, right?
Apparently not all of us do—in fact, one Sooke individual in particular made it clear they believe Christmas lights to be the bane of their existence.
They went as far as mailing a hateful letter, which was posted online and immediately gained wide-spread attention and support for the person who was targeted.
According to the Facebook post, every Christmas, Sooke resident Cheryl decorates her house to bring joy to her neighbourhood and celebrate the holiday.
This year’s cheer was especially important as she lost her son recently and needed to pour her heart into something bright to get through a season without him.
So, when she received the hate mail from someone on her block, her friend took to social media—posting both the letter and the framed photo of her beautifully decorated house to remind Cheryl that there are anti-Grinch people out there.
“My first response was fear I guess, [that] someone could be that angry over my lights,” Cheryl told Victoria Buzz.
“I decided to put it on one of my local online groups, The NEW Sooke Social, to get some feedback on what others thought. Within minutes, my Facebook messages were pinging over and over all day, into the late evening.”
She was thrilled that it gained that much support so quickly, saying the hate definitely struck a nerve with everyone.
“My husband says we will just keep it going for years to come, now that we know there is only one bad apple in the barrel. Maybe even more next year.”
At the time of publication, the post has over 450 likes and over 400 comments—all of them reflecting the support that Cheryl mentioned.
“Let’s start a GoFundMe for more lights. I’m not joking. I’ll volunteer my time and ladder to put more up. MORE. LIGHTS,” one comment reads.
“It’s sad that someone has this much hate in their heart that they take the time to send a note! Ghastly behaviour!” another reads.
Support has flooded the comment section, many making guesses as to which neighbour sent the letter and even going as far as plotting Christmas pranks.
“[Let’s] wrap [their] entire car in wrapping paper…With a big dumb bow on top,” one reads, with a winky face.
Another commenter left kind words and condolences for the loss of Cheryl’s son, saying that they understand how difficult it is and are thinking of them this season.
“Your house is amazing and I know many, many people who enjoy it. You’ve done a remarkable job and I commend you,” they added.
Cheryl responded to many comments with equal kindness, thanking everyone for their support and saying that they’ll just make their display even bigger next year!
To spark further positivity, we’ve launched our application for our Christmas lights map—apply for the chance to be featured in our article and become a part of a beloved tradition.
