Beginning to look a lot like Christmas

FROM Waldronville to Waitati, Dunedin homes are lit up like Christmas trees as residents cover their homes in an assortment of colourful, flashing and festive light displays.

Fairfield residents John and Isabel Fraser have spent hours covering their Martin Rd home with thousands of multicoloured lights, an inflatable Santa Claus and a nativity scene.

Last year, about 1000 people visited the display on Christmas Eve, and this year they had installed brighter LED lights, Mr Fraser said.

Planning for the display started in October and it took three or four weeks’ work, with outside help, to install the display.

The lights were proving far more popular than in previous years.

‘‘I think the word has got out about the display so we’ve already seen more and more people, which is great.’’

Halfway Bush residents Lloyd and Irene Cron have been decorating their home in Rudd Rd for the past six years.

Mr Cron said the first time they put up Christmas lights, they noticed young people running around enjoying themselves.

Each year since, they had improved their displays.

‘‘The best thing is the amount of enjoyment the children and the older ones get out of it,’’ Mr Cron said.

Prof John Stenhouse, from the University of Otago’s history and art history department, said the light displays showed New Zealand was not simply a secular society.

The growing popularity of the light displays showed the continuing appeal of Christmas stories and of Christian spirituality, Prof Stenhouse said.

The team at Cutlers is committed to giving back to our community. We have unanimously agreed to donate a monthly percentage from every sale to a deserving charity.

PHOTO: STEPHEN JAQUIERY Light ’em up . . . Months of planning and at least three or four weeks of work goes into the elaborate and colourful Christmas display outside John and Isabel Fraser’s home in Fairfield. The Frasers are just one of dozens of home owners in Dunedin lighting up the night with large outside Christmas displays this year.

Dozens of homes around Dunedin have been transformed into flashing festive Christmas displays, attracting hundreds of visitors on some nights. Otago Daily Times chief photographer StephenJaquiery searched the city for the best and the brightest. Hohoho...For the past six years, Halfway Bush residents Lloyd and Irene Cron have been decorating the outside of their Rudd Rd home, purely for the enjoyment it brings other people.

9 Flower St, Fairfield.

5 Vulcan Rd, Waldronville.

144 Chain Hill Rd, Chain Hills.

84 Mulford St, Concord.

5 McFadden Dr, Mosgiel.