The spirit of Christmas is alive and well in Clyde North, where two neighbours have combined their efforts to put on a fantastic Christmas light display for the neighbourhood.
Neighbours Sam and Anjie, on Selandra Boulevard, have been putting on the display for about six years now and after the stress of the pandemic, they felt it was more important than ever this year to adorn their houses with hundreds of bulbs in every colour.
Sam explained they do it “mainly for the kids”, with toys in the front of his garden for them to play with – along with sanitiser on a table to keep it Covid-safe.
There is also a projector throwing laser lights onto the driveway, and children from the surrounding streets come to play amongst the sparkles.
Sam said it had helped bring the community together over the years.
“We know a lot of people now, and we know all their kids. You go to the supermarket and people wave to you!”
Sam said he and neighbour Anjie help each other out when putting the lights up and bounce ideas off each other to ensure the display looks magical.
This year, they flicked the switch a couple of days earlier than usual to try and end the year on a more positive note.
“The kids have had everything taken away from them this year, so we put it on a bit earlier for them,” he explained.
Anjie said she loved to see how much joy the display brings people.
“It brings all cultures together and they thoroughly enjoy it – and we enjoy it too, sometimes we just sit and admire it!”
She added that after a year where everyone felt a bit down, the smiles on the faces of children and their parents made the hours spent in preparing the display well and truly worth it.
“It’s the spirit of Christmas, and it’s special this year,” she said.
