There is something special about driving through a street full of Christmas Lights. It’s about the collective effort, the community, the Christmas spirit, the simple joy of watching a wonky Santa do a weird hip move.
After all, no one speaks to their neighbours these days so to get people to work together is even a bigger accomplishment! It is no small task to work alongside that noisy neighbour who has ruined your sleep for the past five years to set up thousands of small bulbs of joy.
It is in the holy name of the Christmas spirit – and your loud neighbour – that we have gathered the craziest Christmas lights around the world right below.
1. 34th Street in Baltimore, Maryland, USA
A local tradition for over 25 years, 34th street in Baltimore, Maryland, USA was started by teenager Bob Hosier. “I could live on a dead-end street in the desert and still do this.” – he told. Placing a string of lights on a tree in the family yard, Hosier inspired his neighbours to do the same. The first family to join in was Darlene Hughes’ and the adorable Christmas decorations started a love story between Hughes and Hosier. The couple, dubbed by other neighbours as the Miracle on 34th Street has been together for more than 25 years!
2. Longford Road in Melksham, Wiltshire, England
Electricist Alex Goodhind took a month off work and spent upwards of £30,000 to prepare the sumptuous Christmas lights at his home in Longford Road Melksham Wiltshire England. After a two year break, the illuminations are back to raise thousands of pounds for charity. “Some of the neighbours might have been glad when we stopped, but I wanted to do it again, to raise money for Dorothy House hospice,” he said. Back in 2009, the last time he set up the decorations, he raised more than £4,000 for the hospice. He said, “My mum was with Dorothy House before she died, so I’ve always been keen to stick with them.” Goodhind’s friend, Kim Bailey, said “Alex doesn’t like to make a big fuss of it himself, as he just does it for the charity, but I’ve been helping out putting up the lights.”
3. Branson City in Missouri, USA
The city of Branson in Missouri, USA is famous for its Christmas decoration trails. You can drive through dozens of wonderfully decorated streets or hire a coach bus to do the driving for you. One unmissable spot is Silver Dolar City, a theme park full of Christmas trees – a thousand of them to be precise – plus more than five million lights.
One more unmissable. Another anticipated trail is the Lights of Joy which features animated displays taking guests on a Christmas Safari, through Santa’s Village, the Penguin Holiday and the classic 12 Days of Christmas. The RGB colour changing tunnel and the LED lighting throughout give it a particularly magical vibe.
4. Kobe festival of lights, Japan
The Kobe festival of lights in Japan pays tribute to the 6 thousand victims of the tragic Hanshin Earthquake. Happening every December since 1995, the more than 200,000 hand-painted lights are an installation by artists Valerio Festi and Hirokazu Imaoka and are visited by 3 to 5 million people each year. The lights, which are donated by the Italian Government, use electricity sustainably generated from biomass and are kept up for about two weeks.
5. Christmas tree at Rodrigo de Freitas Lake Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
The third biggest tourist event in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, the Christmas tree at Rodrigo de Freitas Lake (in Portuguese, Lagoa Rodrigo de Freitas) was first lit in 1996. The original tree spanned Christmassy vibes over 48m of height and 90 tons of weight requiring four floaters to stand high on the lake Rodrigo de Freitas. With more than a million and a half lights, the tree needs its own energy generator to function. Unfortunately, the event complete with fireworks has been suspended for the past three years due to covid, but fingers crossed for the future.
