Marlow family's merry Christmas display

Christmas lights have been something of a tradition in the Marlow household for more than a decade.

The family of five have been stringing up festive festoons to mark the summer holidays since they were a family of three.

When the North West Telegraph visited the Kwinana Street home in South Hedland last week to witness the merry display, all three Marlow children, aged six, eight and 10, were waiting at the gate to show off their display.

Although the annual adorning is quite the undertaking, mother and chief decorator Tracey Marlow said the entire family looked forward to the event.

"It started off with the kids enjoying it. It's also something nice for our neighbourhood," she said.

"We see families coming out that we usually don't see, and they sit over the road with their younger kids and watch the lights - it's a positive thing."

Mrs Marlow lamented the loss of the Town of Port Hedland's Christmas Lights Competition which, she said, encouraged other households to get involved in the celebratory spirit.

"I think more people might get into it," she said.

"It might multiply - I don't know how many people are doing it this year. We do it for the love, but it is nice when you do get something because you go and buy more lights for the next year.

"We also miss driving around and looking at the other houses and then the kids would vote."

Christmas lights date back to the 17th century, but it wasn't until the 19th century that a Christmas lights tradition was established in Germany and began to spread through Eastern Europe.

The first Christmas tree believed to have been lit with electricity was in New York City in 1882.