A young Cambridgeshire mum has prompted a huge outpouring of support after telling a woman who criticised her for putting up Christmas decorations early to “shove off”. More than 120 people responded to her post on a village Facebook group and all have sided with her.
Kelly ann-Allum posted of her ‘confrontation’ to the village Facebook group at Cottenham and has allowed CambsNews to share the details of what happened.
She wrote: “To the lady that decided to shout at me at my front door from across my car park about my putting up my Christmas decorations that ‘it’s too soon for all that, you’re not a child’ how about you politely shove off.
“Firstly, it is my house, so I do what I want to and when I want if you don’t like it don’t look into my windows”.
But then Kelly explained why she has started decorating early for Christmas.
“Just in case you would like to know,” she wrote for the benefit of her accuser.
“While I may not be a child, I have two children. And those two children last Christmas were in NICU (neo natal intensive care), so Christmas didn’t feel like Christmas to me last year.
“So, forgive me for being excited to share a special experience with my babies, yes, I might be putting decs up too soon however I am excited to share this with my babies.
“And an FYI for others. Please don’t be that person who drags someone down for enjoying something because you think it’s ‘too soon’ you never know what they might be going through and if that’s what makes people happy, leave them to it!”
She explained that her twins are now almost 11 months “so it is more for me but after last year’s Christmas there’s more to look forward to now, they are getting older.”
And so began the overwhelming messages of love and support for Kelly.
Here’s a sample of some of the messages she received:
‘Maybe everyone in the village should put their decorations up early this year, that would REALLY pee her off’ said one to which Kelly replied that “judging by how she acted because I had a bare tree with lights on, a Christmas sign on my wall and a bit of tinsel on the shelf I really think it would xx”
Another said: “Love it! My tree is up amongst some others. Waiting delivery for some more decorations”
Whilst another said: “Oh well that’s it on my next weekend off I’m putting up every Christmas decoration I can find miserable sod think they could just get on with their own lives and leave people alone.”
One poster told Kelly: I’ll start making banners and flyers now and put together a carol group to spread the Christmas cheer.”
More seriously another post told her: “Who on earth would think they have the right to tell anyone else what to do, let alone in their own house. I hope you go ‘OTT’ now Kelly just to annoy them even more.”
Other comments included ‘good for you, I really hope you have a lovely Christmas’ whilst another added ‘we shall all take joy wherever we can’ and another said, ‘I can’t imagine what a sorry life someone has to feel grumpy about someone else finding pleasure’.
Kelly was also encouraged to “have a lovely Christmas with your special little miracles -you should celebrate as big and proud as you like. Congratulations”
And Kelly particularly liked the post that said “everyone seems to want to bring everyone down whether that’s to their face or via social media. Such a sad world we live in. Hold your head high and ignore those who bring you down”!
Not Kelly’s house, of course, but photos from some of the many Cambridgeshire stores where Christmas began during October.
