Kuils River resident Geraldo Smeda has become known as the Christmas lights guru for the elaborate displays at his home every year.
However, this year the lights will shine for the last time as Mr Smeda, 64, will no longer be decorating his house. Mr Smeda, 64, has become a celebrity in the area with neighbours eagerly awaiting his Christmas lights displays.
As soon as the holidays start approaching, people begin knocking on his door to ask when the lights will be switched on.
But after 40 years as a school teacher, Mr Smeda is retiring and needs some rest.
“I think it is time I take a break from work and a break from decorating my place,” he said.
Putting up the lights is also labour intensive and the rising cost of electricity means the project is getting increasingly expensive.
Mr Smeda said it takes up to two weeks to set up more than 200 lights and nativity sets.
There is an expectation of something new being added to his collection every year so this year he introduced a telephone box surrounded by snow, which were all handmade.
The cost of the lights, the electricity bill, purchasing new equipment every year and setting up all takes its toll .
“I am getting older now, I cannot climb on the roof like I did in former years,” said Mr Smeda.
He started decorating his home in 2005, with only Christmas lights around the windows and garden.
He got many compliments for this and soon began going all out.
He then decided to use it as a fund-raising campaign by collecting money from those who came to see the lights and donating it to a children’s hospital.
He started making new decorations to attract as many people as possible.
These included a large father Christmas sitting on the roof, a brightly coloured helicopter and candy stick lights as a fence around the garden.
Being a vintage car lover, Mr Smeda included cars such as Volkswagen Beetles into the festive feeling.
The number of visitors increased and between 2006 and 2008 he raised more than R70 000, which he donated to Red Cross War Memorial Children’s Hospital in Rondebosch.
He then started donating the money to the Tygerberg Children’s Hospital and has done so for the past nine years.
Last year, Mr Smeda raised R350 000 for the hospital (“Festive decorations brighten Geraldo’s Kuils River home,” Northern News, January 12, 2018).
“People queue up in front of my home, even till one o’clock in the morning, to see the lights. It warms my heart to see that I can be a bit of entertainment to my community,” he said.
With the switching on of the lights on Friday December 14, Mr Smeda said at least 400 people showed up and he felt sad that it will be the last year.
“Right around this street people gather to visit my home and the Santa house I built. With the help of law enforcement this makes my job easier,” he said.
“People will be disappointed to know that this is the final year of my festive decorations but they are unaware that it takes a lot of effort,” said Mr Smeda.
He will be switching off his lights on Sunday January 13 next year.
The cost of the lights, the electricity bill, purchasing new equipment every year and setting up all takes its toll.
“I am getting older now, I cannot climb on the roof like I did in former years,” said Mr Smeda.
He started decorating his home in 2005, with only Christmas lights around the windows and garden.
He got many compliments for this and soon began going all out.
He then decided to use it as a fund-raising campaign by collecting money from those who came to see the lights and donating it to a children’s hospital.
He started making new decorations to attract as many people as possible.
These included a large father Christmas sitting on the roof, a brightly coloured helicopter and candy stick lights as a fence around the garden.
Being a vintage car lover, Mr Smeda included cars such as Volkswagen Beetles into the festive feeling.
The number of visitors increased and between 2006 and 2008 he raised more than R70 000, which he donated to Red Cross War Memorial Children’s Hospital in Rondebosch.
He then started donating the money to the Tygerberg Children’s Hospital and has done so for the past nine years.
Last year, Mr Smeda raised R350 000 for the hospital (“Festive decorations brighten Geraldo’s Kuils River home,” Northern News, January 12).
“People queue up in front of my home, even till one o’clock in the morning, to see the lights. It warms my heart to see that I can be a bit of entertainment to my community,” he said.
With the switching on of the lights on Friday December 14, Mr Smeda said at least 400 people showed up and he felt sad that it will be the last year.
“Right around this street people gather to visit my home and the Santa house I built. With the help of law enforcement this makes my job easier,” he said.
“People will be disappointed to know that this is the final year of my festive decorations but they are unaware that it takes a lot of effort,” said Mr Smeda.
He will be switching off his lights on Sunday January 13 next year.
