A Dublin mam claims that her spectacular Christmas decorations have little effect on her electricity bill.
Anita Daynes lives in Tallaght and puts up her impressive Christmas lights one month before Halloween begins, a tradition which has captured the attention of the local community. She explains that the decorations go up ahead of time for her son Leighton, who has non-verbal autism and adores the routine of Christmas.
She has a fantastic display of decorations both outside and within the home, including a life-size snowman, Grinch themed window art and flashing neon Christmas lights. Anita says she hasn’t seen a cost increase on her bills, although she usually turns off the lights out at around half ten.
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She told Dublin Live: “I pay my own electricity bill and I haven’t seen a difference in it. I think it’s actually cheaper to use Christmas lights. I knock them off at around half ten or eleven o’ clock for the neighbours,” she reveals.
We took a peak inside Anita's home, which was even more festive than the exterior. The kitchen table is already bedecked with red and green Christmas cutlery, although Anita explains the delph needs to be washed daily to prevent dust.
The festive display is so popular that Anita is considering setting up a donation drive for the first time. She would like any funds to be given to national autism charity AsIAm to help support children like her son Leighton.
Anita says: “I might do donations next year as there will be even more decorations then, all the way up to the roof. If I tried doing them myself though, I’d probably fall off the ladder!”
Her annual tradition has also spurred on her family and friends to put their decorations up ahead of time. Anita grew up in a household where decorations were only put up Christmas week, but she explains that her parents now have the house fully bedecked before the Toy Show.
The family also have something to give back to Santa from last year: a medical glove he was using while delivering presents last year. Anita’s children will find out if he’s collected his belonging on the morning of the 25th .
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