BETHPAGE, N.Y. (CBSNewYork) — On Long Island, a Grinch still lingers from Christmas, sending mean messages to residents.
Neighbors with decorations still up are being asked to take them down.
The Christmas decorations at a home on Berkshire Road in Bethpage were put up by Sara Pascucci’s father.
“He was always into Christmas. Those are like our fond memories that we have of him, just always decorating,” Pascucci told CBS2’s Alice Gainer.
Pascucci says you’ll forgive the family for a moment if they haven’t taken it all down yet.
On Christmas Eve, she says everyone became sick with COVID-19.
Her 61-year-old father recently passed away. Her 70-year-old aunt died too.
“My father ended up going to the hospital because he couldn’t breathe. They ended up having to put the ventilator, and he passed on January 15th,” Pascucci said.
In the midst of their grief, a letter arrived Tuesday with no return address, postmarked Jan. 30.
It reads, “Take your Christmas lights down! [It’s] Valentine’s Day!!!!!!”
“He opened it and we were a little taken aback because we’ve been through a lot lately,” Pascucci said.
Her house isn’t the only one that received a letter. So too did the neighbors down the block.
“I thought it was really rude. You know, especially now with COVID and everything going on,” neighbor Lori Kelly said.
She also received one, and she’s got Valentine’s Day decorations up, too.
CBS2 also spotted lights still strung up at another home.
“I’m still wearing my Christmas mask. I got a whole box of these … It brings people joy. They can keep them up until April, I don’t care,” neighbor Gerry Lopinto said.
No one knows who sent the letter, but neighbors have a message for the calendar police.
“Mind your own business, you know. This is my property, so if I want to leave my Christmas lights on all year long, I will,” Kelly said.
“I would just like them to remember to be kind, especially during a pandemic. You don’t really know what anybody’s going through,” Pascucci said.
The spirit of Christmas, they say, shouldn’t end Dec. 26.
Pascucci posted about the letter on a Long Island Facebook page and received a lot of support. She says those positive messages helped lift her spirits.
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