Some of the city’s best known and longest running Christmas houses will not be decking their halls this year due to Covid-19 restrictions.
For more than a decade, Liz and Barry Carmichael have been decorating their Chain Hill Rd section for Christmas.
Each year they would spend more than 120 hours creating a festive spectacle featuring thousands of fairy lights.
‘‘It’s just nice to be able to put a smile on somebody else’s face,’’ Mrs Carmichael said.
‘‘We can’t really patrol and see who’s there this year,’’ she said.
They usually started putting up lights on November 1 to be ready in time for December 1, and it had been strange not to be getting things ready this year, she said.
The owner of a popular Christmas house display in Rudd Rd posted on Facebook that their display would also not be taking place this year, while a different Christmas house in Roy Cres was wrapping up for good.
But for Christmas lovers, there is a light at the end of the tunnel.
Several people have posted in a Dunedin Christmas lights Facebook group saying they will still be getting into the holiday spirit this year.
