Festive joy for all: One family’s elaborately-decorated residential house in Penampang has been drawing crowds of visitors eager to experience a fun Christmas atmosphere.
KOTA KINABALU: Every night, squeals of delight and the laughter of children echo through a usually quiet upper-class housing area in Penampang near here.
These children, along with their parents and other visitors, turn up at an elaborately decorated house at Villa Tropicana to enjoy the lively music, faux snow and colourful lights that were put up earlier this month.
The person behind this ‘magical Christmas wonderland’, Angelo Ivan Tan, 22, said that the thought of creating something like no other had been his dream since he was a boy.
“When I was younger, I loved watching Christmas movies, and in these movies, families would have beautifully decorated homes to fit the season,” he said when met outside his crowded family home.
“My cousins and I also often see pictures of houses in London and overseas where Christmas decorations are over the top,” he said, explaining the reason why he and his relatives were so interested in creating something so grand.
Tan said at first, their intention was just to fulfil that childhood dream, even though it meant they had to install most of the decorations themselves.
He and his relatives had spent a good two months preparing and making their own version of a magical Christmas, with the total cost being borne by a relative, who did not want to be named.
However, when people saw their decorations and asked to take photos, the family decided to just allow it, as they also did something similar last year, but on a smaller scale.
Slowly, the crowd started to grow and the simple photo sessions quickly became a daily mini open house.
Tan and his family started to provide drinks, tidbits and even small gifts for the children, and allowed the ‘party’ to go on up to midnight, despite initially setting a 10pm cutoff time.
“It is a very happy feeling, having people come over, although sometimes we do get a bit overwhelmed,” he said, adding that they plan to keep their Christmas decorations up until New Year.
Asked if they plan to make it a yearly tradition, he said that if it was possible, they would like to continue doing it.
The residential Christmas wonderland has been going viral across social media platforms, including TikTok and Facebook.
Meanwhile, the three-day Sabah Christmas Celebrations 2025 kicked off at Padang Merdeka here with Chief Minister Datuk Seri Hajiji Noor describing it as a platform for the spirit of goodwill, mutual respect and togetherness.
According to him, this year’s theme, “Hope for Peace in Love”, is most fitting as it calls on all citizens to return to the fundamental values of humanity, such as peace, love, hope, and shared responsibility.
He said that hope is the belief that through love, a more peaceful, prosperous, and meaningful life can be built, while true peace is manifested through mutual respect and strengthened by acts of kindness.
“Love is the foundation of all forms of relationships, whether within the family, community, society, or our relationship with the environment. This is the philosophy we wish to cultivate throughout the Sabah Christmas Celebration 2025,” he said when launching the celebration launched by Yang DiPertua Negeri Tun Musa Aman.
Hajiji, whose speech was delivered by Deputy Chief Minister I, Datuk Seri Dr Joachim Gunsalam on Tuesday evening, said the event serves as a platform to strengthen social unity and the well-being of the people.
