People are putting their Christmas lights back up to shine some light in these dark times

These are uncertain times for everybody around the world.

As of the most recent situation report from the World Health Organization, there has been 179,112 confirmed cases of COVID-19 around the world, and 7,426 deaths. These figures are increasing every hour.

On social media, it would seem that our newsfeeds are filled with an endless stream of bad news, and for many of us, we can't escape our screens because our day-to-day lives now consist of working-from-home and self-isolation.

However, in order to restore some light to these dark times, some people have come up with an ingenious suggestion: let's put our Christmas lights back up.

(Although, maybe this woman should keep her 'naughty' display off...)

Christmas is a special time for many people. It is a time for giving what we can, spending time with loved ones, and spreading joy to those around us - something I'm sure we can all use a little more of.

Taking to Twitter on March 16, father Mike Griffin tweeted: "My youngest son was bored today and said, 'Can we put Christmas lights on our tree outside to cheer us up?' Great idea buddy. Lights are on tonight as a sign of hope and the sweet mind of my 10 year old."

Accompanied was a photo of a tree outside Mike's house, showing a joyful blend of colors - something that instantly put a smile on my face.

But it didn't end there...

Pam Swan tweeted a picture of her lights, along with the message: "My Christmas lights are back on, cause this is what I need right now."

And Twitter-user Nadine shared a picture of her neighbor's homes, writing: "Today a few of my neighbours decided we needed a bit more light in this dark time and decided to turn their Christmas lights back on. I hope it brings a smile to you face like it did mine."

And the tweets and Christmas joy didn't end there:

I don't know about you, but the view out of my window while I'm WFH will look a lot better if it was dressed up with some Christmas cheer. If a few twinkling lights can distract us from what's going on in the world - even if it is only for a few seconds - then I'm fully supporting this movement.