Australians set new world Christmas lights record

CANBERRA, Australia – An Australian family has reclaimed their Guinness World Record by stringing up more than half a million Christmas lights around their suburban home.

Guinness World Records official Chris Sheedy confirmed on Monday that the Richards family of Canberra had set a new record for Christmas lights on a residential property with 502,165 twinkling bulbs.

The family first entered the famous record book in 2001 with 331,038 multi-colored lights. But they were trumped last year by a family in LaGrangeville, New York, who illuminated their home with 346,283 lights.

The Richards home will be open to the public from next week to raise money for charity. A local power company will donate the estimated 2,500 Australian dollars (US$2,300) in electricity that will illuminate the home for the next month.