Subscribe
A sign that reads “WELCOME TO TYNDALL AFB” with damaged trees in the background.

Tyndall Air Force Base, Fla. as seen on Oct. 17, 2018, shortly after it was hit by Hurricane Michael. (Sean Carnes/U.S. Air Force)

(Tribune News Service) — Many enlistees and their families stationed at Tyndall Air Force Base in Florida are being told to take down their Christmas decorations because it’s too soon for Santa.

Privatized housing residents at the base in the Florida panhandle were reminded this week that the conditions of their rental agreement prohibit holiday decor from being displayed more than 30 days before the event being celebrated, according to Task & Purpose.

“If you currently have Yuletide decor present on the outside of your home, please remove it and reinstall it in accordance with your community guidelines listed below,” said a notice from the landlord for all privatized housing on the base.

The notification from the Balfour Beatty Communities property management group included a rundown of community rules regarding festive decorations. An Air Force official reportedly confirmed the order was valid.

According to the rules, Christmas decorations can only be displayed the week after Thanksgiving and have to come down during the first week of the New Year.

An Air Force official assured Task & Purpose that the rules are specific to the private housing community at the Tyndall base and don’t apply to private or public housing at other military bases.

Balfour Beatty Communities, which manages the property, said holiday decor guidelines “help ensure neighborhoods remain neat, consistent and enjoyable for all residents.”

The website of lifestyle guru Martha Stewart reported in September that it was once a “general rule of thumb” that Christmas decorations shouldn’t be displayed before Thanksgiving, but that’s no longer the consensus.

©2025 New York Daily News.

Visit nydailynews.com.

Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

Sign Up for Daily Headlines

Sign up to receive a daily email of today's top military news stories from Stars and Stripes and top news outlets from around the world.

Sign Up Now