1.2 million Christmas lights

Zlatko Salai, a 67-year-old Croatian resident of Grabovnits, has created a real Christmas tale for himself and all the children in the district. His Christmas story is his home, which has 1.2 million lights this year.

The former telecommunications engineer owns a property located in central Croatia. As a child, he did not have the opportunity to enjoy Christmas, because Salai’s family was very poor.

At the age of 4, he was left without a mother and his whole family consisted of him and his father. The mill owned by his father was destroyed during World War II. When Zlatko grew up, he made money working in the Middle East and Africa.

Upon returning home, Salai decided to pursue his childhood dream. In 2002, Zlatko decorated his home for the first time using 70,000 light bulbs. The following year, there were 100,000. Thus, light and decorations increased in number every year. The festive spirit and decorations attract children from all around.

However, Zlatko is forced to charge a small fee for the entrance, because the bill for the light is 12 thousand dollars. However, visitors do not mind and gladly help their countryman.

In preparation for the holiday, it was necessary to lay 5 km of cables underground and another 180 km on bushes and trees. Preparations for the event begin three months before Christmas, and then the same amount to dismantle everything.