Jody Greiner snaps magical Christmas tree photograph in Syracuse, New York

A photograph of a Christmas tree in downtown Syracuse that seems to capture the magic of the holiday season has gone viral on social media.

Photographer Jody Greiner, of Syracuse, first shared the photo to his Facebook page on Dec. 1. Within minutes, it received more than 800 likes, he told Syracuse.com.

The photo appears to show the Clinton Square tree’s lights stretching far up into the night sky. Greiner says the picture was only minimally edited, brightening the lights by enhancing the contrast. He says the magical effect the image has is real and was actually captured by accident.

“I got out (of my car) and some rain had fallen onto my lens,” he told Syracuse.com. “I had a brain mistake, and I didn’t wipe my lens clean, hence the effect of the picture.”

If you look closely at the image, you can see the glowing spots are actually raindrops.

Accident or not, the image’s more than 1,500 Facebook commenters are still amazed.

“You have warmed many hearts with this shot,” Meg Trigg commented.

The photograph, titled “Cities Christmas Tree,” has also sparked many to share their memories of the New York area.

“I remember bringing my son to see Santa and the trees in Clinton Square,” Lynda Reilly Rill writes. “It was our family tradition to drive downtown to see the magic of the trees. Your picture is extraordinary.”

Greiner has posted many other scenic photos to his Facebook page in the past, even one of the Clinton Square tree in 2014, but none have been as popular as this year’s shot.