VIDEO: Czech man sets record with 27 kilometers of Christmas lights

Chotovice, a small village near Litomyšl, has become a unlikely Christmas attraction over the past two decades thanks to the decorative efforts of one man.

Every year, Václav Trunec adorns his home with an impressive number of Christmas lights that draws in crowds from the across the Czech Republic.

This year, he has outdone himself with an additional 9,000 lights- – and attracted the attention of international media.

The news agency posted video of Trunec’s sparkling display to their ‘Top News’ Twitter feed this morning:

While Trunec was inspired by the impressive displays seen in the US – and, perhaps, movies like National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation – his decorations avoid American depictions of Christmas and stick to Czech roots.

Instead of Santa being pulled by reindeer, for example, the Chotovice display features Baby Jesus (Ježíšek) and horses.

“Why I did start with this?” Trunec told Reuters.

“I was inspired by the American films, but I didn’t take their decoration but stayed faithful to the (traditions of) the Czech Republic. That’s why you will not find any Santa, reindeer, or flashing stars here.”

If you’d like to visit the Chotovice display, which is about two hours east of Prague outside of Litomyšl, you can see the house light up every day from 16:30 – 22:00 through January 6.

Admission is free, but donations are welcome to help out with the estimated 13,000 crown electricity bill.