A suburban Northern California family grieving the recent loss of a mother to cancer declined to decorate their home for Christmas – and was criticized for it by someone who mailed her a letter.
Lyndia Ives Zarra, a resident of Vacaville, was shocked to receive an anonymous letter saying it was ‘completely unacceptable to not decorate a house for Christmas if you live on Candy Cane or Lollipop Lane.’
The letter called her ‘extremely disrespectful, rude, and selfish’ for not decorating in a neighborhood that is known for its colorful and ostentatious displays during the holiday season.
The Zarra family was dubbed ‘the scrooges among us’ by ‘the entire city of Vacaville,’ a small town located between San Francisco and Sacramento.
Lyndia Ives Zarra, a resident of Vacaville, was shocked to receive an anonymous letter saying it was ‘completely unacceptable to not decorate a house for Christmas if you live on Candy Cane or Lollipop Lane’
The letter called her ‘extremely disrespectful, rude, and selfish’ for not decorating in a neighborhood that is known for its colorful and ostentatious displays during the holiday season
Lyndia Ives Zarra was outraged by the letter. She took to social media and blasted the anonymous individual for the insulting note.
In a Facebook post, she revealed that she did not decorate her home this year because she had just returned from three months out of state during which she cared for her terminally ill mother in the final stages of her life.
‘Please Think before you shame someone on Christmas!’ Zarra wrote.
‘I live on Lollipop Lane and the photo attached is the letter I received in my mailbox yesterday.
In a Facebook post, Zarra (left) revealed that she did not decorate her home this year because she had just returned from three months out of state during which she cared for her terminally ill mother, Cheri (seen right), in the final stages of her life
‘My decorations did not go out this year.
‘The past 4 months have been hard on my family. I was out of the state for 3 months caring for my mother who had stage 4 liver cancer. She died in October. I had to handle everything before I could come home. I came home Dec 1.
‘My decorations were MADE BY MY MOTHER!
‘They are all her artwork and I am supposed to put them out for someone’s enjoyment while they cause me grief?
‘You have NO IDEA why someone may choose not to decorate.
Zarra’s home (above) is seen without any Christmas decorations on Wednesday
The residents of Vacaville, a suburb sandwiched between San Francisco and Sacramento, apparently take pride in ostentatious Christmas displayed and decorations
‘When you get a letter like that, it’s heartbreaking,’ Zarra told Fox 40 TV . ‘Because it’s not like I was trying to make the street ugly or whatever. I just had to deal with my family and I.’ A decorated home on Lollipop Lane in Vacaville is seen above
‘You do NOT pay my PG&E bill. (there is no help contrary to rumors)
‘You do NOT install and maintain my yard (I do it all myself or PAY someone and have to do maintenance everyday including cleaning up your coffee cups and dog poop).
‘We have CHOSEN to be involved in this tradition for 6 years (how long we have lived here) so far.
‘It will continue.
‘To the coward that hides behind anonymity who sent this letter to me: I hope you had a MERRY CHRISTMAS.
‘Please think before you shame someone on Christmas!
‘Next year when you come down our street to POLICE our “responsibility”; please don’t.
‘Enjoy those who CHOOSE to decorate for YOUR enjoyment and leave the others in peace.
‘I hope next time you consider sending a letter; please don’t.
Zarra explained in her Facebook post that it was her mother who made the Christmas decorations that she put up every year. Since her mother died weeks ago, it would have been too painful to decorate the home, she said
‘YOU are the SCROOGE in this story.’
The Facebook post ended with a ‘feeling hurt’ emoji.
Zarra’s post went viral, generating over 1,000 emotional reactions, nearly 600 comments, and 128 shares as of Friday morning.
She received overwhelming support from Facebook commenters who were aghast at the insensitivity of her neighbors.
‘This is a disgusting letter!!’ wrote one Facebook user.
‘Whatever coward wrote it should step forward to reveal themselves and apologize! Whoever you are, please do not lump the rest of us (“The Entire City of Vacaville”) with your crappy belief system!!’
‘When you get a letter like that, it’s heartbreaking,’ Zarra told Fox 40 TV.
‘Because it’s not like I was trying to make the street ugly or whatever. I just had to deal with my family and I.’