Move over coronavirus, there’s a new thing being spread around the world! Except this time it isn’t a deadly virus, but feelings of global euphoria as thousands from all nationalities take to the street to revel in a Biden victory. From profane chants to uproarious celebrations, the joy (and fury) at Trump’s defeat has been profound and wide reaching. After this tedious year draws to a painfully gradual conclusion, these final couple of months are at last a time of much-needed glee for many across the world.

After the forewarned length of the election set millions on edge, it was Saturday that finally concluded the predicted results- Joe Biden and Kamala Harris will become America’s next president and vice president respectively. Folks in Washington D.C were among the first to rejoice, for thousands of people had already crowded the White House in preparation for this election. Still, their joy was not just visible, but humorously audible as crowds took to singing YMCA in mockery of Trump “dancing” (it was more an awkward combo of hip jutting and elbow swinging) to the Village People’s hit at a rally. Singing and dancing seemed to be theme of the day, as crowds in New York, Philadelphia- which is one of the cities that certified in a crucial Biden victory in Pennsylvania- Michigan and many others either participated in blasting celebratory music- “Celebration” by the Kool Aid Gang, “Champions” by Queen and “Na Na Na Hey Hey Goodbye” by Steam were prominent favorites of the night. There were also original chants and songs dedicated to expressing shared feelings of hatred for Trump, but for the sake of adhering to school policies on swear words I’ll leave the lyrics up to the reader to find. These extremely telling demonstrations occurred not just in America, but in countries around the world with amazing displays of unified hatred for a leader whose loss has ignited reactions like no other.

Of course it wasn’t just civilians that participated in showcasing their excitement. Talk show hosts like John Oliver, Stephen Colbert, Trevor Noah and Jimmy Kimmel all expressed their enthusiasm for the results. Even SNL, which has been given an abundance of source material through their mockey of these circus-like political times, made sure to make their allegiance clear in an opening skit that mocked a defiant Trump. 

All of this, of course, comes in the face of the current president’s unwillingness to relinquish power. Trump- and his supporters, though their outrage is a mere reflection of his own- have cried fraud and blasphemy against what they deem to be election interference. Despite the fact that there is zero evidence of this and nearly every court case the Trump Campaign has desperately brought forth been dismissed, all it takes is a simple scroll through Trump’s twitter page to see the man is still fiercely clinging on to the idea of a second term. It should be said that while Mr. Trump is free to exercise his freedom of speech by trying to inaccurately defame the election results, any legal standing is unlikely to be gained due to the resounding lack of proof. 

All in all, this weekend was either gloriously refreshing or deeply maddening, depending on where one’s political allegiance lies. However this does mark the end of an election that many found exhausting and depressing, and for that alone there is reason to be grateful.