I must admit I was dead tired on Monday night and after a failed nap and stressing about Christmas the whole time I reeeeally didn't want to go. I had, however, promised myself and the kids that we'd go check out the Christmas lights.
A dear friend of mine sent me a video marking out all the houses and streets that were really worth visiting and most of them were a stones throw away!
So we all piled into the car, totally forgetting about supper, at about 8h30pm. Now remember, in SA, there was always the occasional house that went crazy with Christmas decorations outside their homes, but the Christmas spirit has been growing! I believe there are even competitions between the houses now! It's turned into something like we see in the movies about the US.
It was insanely busy, but so well organized with Penbev/Coca-Cola deploying trucks with Christmas lights and plenty of helpful road marshals!
There were even houses selling hot chocolate and boerewors rolls and all kinds of Christmas goodies and Coca-Cola was handing out bottles of coke for free!
Some of the houses had incredible decorations both inside and outside their houses and with various home owners in Santa suits, people were guided into queues to view the magic.
We got there a bit late and it was to chaotic to park, but we spent quite a lot of time - two hours!- driving around and circling back. It was just so glorious to see.
Next year, I think we'll be better prepared and we'll also stop to walk around and get involved.
It really was a special evening! And thank heavens we could just throw together some chicken burgers when we got home :)
With queues like that and the amount of people in the street walking from house to house, I wonder what time they got home!
Have not seen any homes doing lighting in years, price of electricity, loss of earnings who knows. Durban I doubt the city put up lights, only the botanical gardens would have them.
Nice to see so many still making an effort.
Merry Christmas!
They still do it every year in Adderly street in Cape Town. I might still take the kids π they leave them on till new year I think
To best of my knowledge only Botanical Gardens light up from Christmas and New Year, would not go into Durban at night and not seen anyone decorate homes as in previous years.
Oh dear. Yes. I suppose where you stay names a huge difference. I remember visiting PE and just seeing the shell of sea world... They also had a lovely walk down the valey to the beach filled with Christmas lights. Lovely fir family walks about 30 years ago, so I'm told. Now it's just a highway for drugs, rape and stabbings.
Cape Town has come a long way. Our botanical gardens were also I'd a terrible state from the last 90s onward for about 10 years. Now it's a, lovely place to take your children for a picnic or to visit the restaurant there and enjoy true cape town culture as well as resident birds and squirrels!
Much has changed in 30 years, most of what we enjoyed is no longer on offer. With crime rates up, rather stay home, even if they put up lights I doubt we would go out to see them.
It's strange how Cape Town went downhill severely about 20 years ago, and then the DA implemented the Inner City Improvement District program which made a huge difference. From visible law enforcement to free Wi-Fi in the Company's Gardens, as well as a massive cleanup of the inner city and repurposing of old/ vacant buildings. We've been lucky <3
All depends on those elected whether they are prepared to work for the people, or simply make a quick buck!
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Looks like a lovely and exciting evening! Christmas lights are always so festive and pretty. Your gathering almost sounds like one that is further south from me towards Seattle, where an entire neighborhood decks out for Christmas; they actually charge admission and do serve tons of food and refreshments along the way.......or so I'm told. I've never been as the traffic down that way is horrific, but lots of people go. It sounds like your event may be growing!
I hope you had a very Merry Christmas and that the New Year will bring you much joy!
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oh that sounds absolutely lovely!!!!!! You know, sometimes we turn our nose up at people who monetize Christmas goodies, but I think I am going to start selling my biscuits on special occasions :)
My son's weren't interested in car touring some of the well known areas of Christmas home decking this year. So I just walked my neighborhood and got some pleasing shots and sprinkled them into my comments section of this post.
I hope you had a restful post-Christmas day today @clairemobey
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oh how lovely! There are one or two houses in our neighborhood who partake in these glorious displays of willingness to waste electricity (dad joke...lol) but just a quick trip to our neighboring suburbs; Bothasig and Monte Vista (like 7km away) was really worth it and the, although we didn't stop this year. It's1st year we've been. I'm still struggling massively with pain. Pain in my knees, pain in my back, and bonus points for pain in my coccyx which even makes sitting excruciating. However, at least we have a general sense of how it works now and will have a better plan for next year. Hopefully I will be able to attend the walk. It's quite a few different streets that are involved so there are chances for rest stops in between. I was also saving every ounce of energy I had for Christmas cooking (which was exhausting). I love how different neighborhoods have really started to embrace festivities (like Halloween as well) and really bring a special kind of magic to the whole neighborhood. Restores my faith in humanity restored <3 it's lovely to just sort of, hit pause on life and just bask in the magic for a little while <3
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