Across the UAE, residents are fully embracing the holiday season, transforming their homes with creative and elaborate Christmas decorations, including miniature villages, festive lights, and themed displays, bringing warmth and cheer to friends, family, and neighbors alike.
“UAE Residents Embrace the Festive Spirit with Elaborate Christmas Decorations”.
During the holiday season, people approach Christmas decorating in a variety of ways, reflecting their personalities, creativity, and enthusiasm for the festivities. For some, celebrating Christmas at home involves simple and classic touches, such as placing a brightly lit tree in the living room, hanging a few wreaths on doors or walls, and adorning spaces with mistletoe to spread holiday cheer. These residents enjoy the warmth and nostalgia of familiar decorations, creating a festive atmosphere that is charming in its simplicity and cozy for family gatherings.
However, for others, Christmas serves as an opportunity to go beyond traditional decorations and explore their creative instincts. These individuals view the festive season as a chance to design elaborate displays, pushing the limits of imagination and artistry to transform their homes into stunning winter wonderlands. For them, decorating is not just about tradition but about crafting an experience—an immersive and magical environment that evokes the joy, wonder, and excitement of the holidays.
This year, many of these creative decorators embraced the festive season with extraordinary enthusiasm, turning their homes into bold, theatrical scenes that could easily be mistaken for sets from holiday films. Every corner, hallway, and room became a canvas for imagination, with lights twinkling, ornaments sparkling, and intricate details capturing the essence of Christmas. From giant snow-covered trees to elaborate garlands, shimmering baubles, and life-sized Santa displays, these homes showcased a commitment to holiday spirit that goes far beyond ordinary decoration.
Among these passionate decorators is Tony Williams, a retired helicopter pilot whose love for Christmas has evolved into a unique hobby over the years. Williams’ journey began modestly, with a few collectible pieces—miniature trains, small buildings, and tiny figurines—that he purchased individually, often inspired by the nostalgia of holiday villages he had admired during his childhood. At first, these items were scattered throughout his home, placed here and there on shelves or mantels without a cohesive plan. Yet, as his collection expanded over time, he realized the potential to create something much more impressive—a fully realized miniature Christmas village that could serve as the centerpiece of his holiday decorating.
With dedication and careful planning, Williams began arranging his pieces into a unified display, paying attention to every detail to bring the miniature village to life. Streets were lined with tiny lampposts and snow-covered rooftops, little trains ran along carefully designed tracks, and each building was positioned thoughtfully to create a sense of scale and realism. Over time, the village grew in size and complexity, evolving into a true winter wonderland that delighted both residents and visitors. It became not just a collection of decorations, but a storytelling medium, capturing the spirit of Christmas through intricate design, creativity, and attention to detail.
For Williams, and for many like him, this form of decoration is more than just an aesthetic pursuit—it is an expression of joy, nostalgia, and the magic of the holiday season. The process of planning, collecting, and arranging pieces provides a creative outlet, while the finished display brings immense satisfaction and serves as a centerpiece for family traditions and social gatherings. Visitors to his home are often enchanted by the miniature village, marveling at the care and thoughtfulness invested in every tiny detail, from snow-dusted streets to miniature festive lights.
Across the UAE, these kinds of elaborate holiday displays are becoming increasingly popular, as residents combine personal collections, artistic skills, and festive imagination to craft homes that are visually striking and immersive. Whether it’s a modestly decorated tree or an expansive winter village, the essence of the holiday spirit is captured through individual expression, creativity, and the shared joy of celebrating Christmas with family and community. Through these elaborate setups, homeowners like Williams remind us that decorating for the holidays can be a deeply personal and joyful experience, one that transforms ordinary spaces into enchanting worlds full of wonder, warmth, and holiday cheer.
In essence, Christmas decorating ranges from the simple and traditional to the ambitious and cinematic, reflecting the diversity of ways people celebrate the season. For some, it’s about a few lights and ornaments; for others, it’s about constructing magical worlds where every detail contributes to the overall story. Tony Williams’ miniature Christmas village exemplifies this passion, showing how a simple hobby can evolve into a stunning visual celebration that captures the imagination and spreads festive joy to everyone who experiences it.
For more than half a decade, Tony Williams, a retired helicopter pilot, has upheld a cherished Christmas tradition that has become a defining feature of the holiday season in his household. Every year, he dedicates time, effort, and a considerable amount of creativity to setting up a miniature town right in the middle of his living room. Unlike ordinary festive decorations, Williams’ village is elaborate, immersive, and meticulously constructed, featuring moving trains that run along tiny tracks, illuminated streetlights, and functioning light switches scattered across the display. Some of these switches and mechanical elements, he proudly notes, he has repaired or customized himself, a testament to the hands-on dedication he applies to his hobby.
Williams’ fascination with creating miniature worlds began in earnest after his retirement, following a career that spanned more than fifty years. For him, this tradition has been more than just a seasonal pastime—it has been a way to channel the energy, focus, and creativity he developed over decades of work into something joyful and personal. “When people retire, there’s always that thought that they need something else to do,” he explained in an interview. “You spend so many years focusing on your profession, and when that chapter ends, you look for a new purpose, something that keeps you engaged. For me, it went back to my childhood. When I was a little boy, I loved building things—structures, small models, little towns. So when I retired, I thought, why not build a miniature town this year? And it just became a tradition after that.”
Over the years, Williams’ miniature town has grown in scope and complexity. What started as a small collection of individual items—trains, buildings, figurines—has evolved into a full-fledged festive installation that dominates his living room every December. The arrangement is not merely decorative; it is functional and interactive. Trains move along intricate tracks weaving through snowy streets, lampposts light up to create a warm, inviting ambiance, and houses and shops are arranged with careful attention to scale and perspective. Every detail is deliberate, from the positioning of tiny trees to the placement of miniature figures that bring the village to life. Friends, family, and neighbors often gather around the display, marveling at its intricacy, and Williams himself delights in the joy it brings, both to him and to those who experience it.
Yet Williams is not the only resident in the UAE taking the holiday spirit to extraordinary levels. Across the city, many families are embracing Christmas with remarkable creativity, and one such example is Kanessa Muluneh, an entrepreneur and mentor for fashion businesses. Muluneh has long been accustomed to celebrating Christmas in locations where snow is abundant, giving her children the opportunity to enjoy the traditional festive experience complete with white landscapes, frosty mornings, and the excitement of winter play. However, this year, she opted for a different approach. Instead of traveling to distant snowy climates, Muluneh chose to transform her own home into a self-contained winter wonderland, bringing the magic of snow and seasonal cheer directly to her children.
The idea was ambitious and required careful planning. Muluneh converted her courtyard—an outdoor space enclosed by her building—into a dazzling display reminiscent of a scene from a storybook. The centerpiece of her transformation was a “snowball effect,” an inventive design in which artificial snow cascades from a machine installed on the second floor, giving the illusion that the courtyard itself is the interior of a giant snowball. The visual effect is striking: from the outside, passersby can glimpse the snowy interior, with white flurries tumbling gently downwards, creating a sense of winter even in the typically warm and sunny climate of Dubai. The installation required not just creativity but also logistical planning, as the snow machine needed to be positioned, calibrated, and synchronized to create a continuous snowfall effect that would feel natural and enchanting.
Muluneh explained her motivation, reflecting on her family’s past experiences in Europe. “We lived in Europe, where it was quite cold, and my children grew up enjoying snow during the holidays,” she said. “So when we returned here, we wanted to recreate that experience at home. This year, we decided to go all out. It wasn’t just about putting up a few decorations or lights; we wanted the full experience, so that we could still have that Christmas spirit, even without traveling to snowy destinations.”
The response from her children, however, was less dramatic than she had anticipated. Having grown up in Dubai, where extravagant displays of holiday decor are increasingly common, they were already accustomed to over-the-top setups and therefore less easily impressed by her elaborate efforts. “I was a little disappointed that it didn’t have that ‘wow’ factor for them,” Muluneh admitted with a laugh. “But then again, they’re kids in Dubai—they’ve seen so many grand displays, so much creativity and so many over-the-top decorations, that it takes a lot to surprise them. I think I’m probably more excited about it than they are!”
Despite the muted reaction from her children, Muluneh’s winter wonderland exemplifies a growing trend among UAE residents: the desire to create immersive and imaginative holiday experiences within the home. Rather than relying solely on commercial displays, shopping malls, or distant travel destinations, families are taking the initiative to design spaces that allow them to experience the magic of Christmas in a personalized way. From snow machines and miniature villages to themed lighting and intricate ornament arrangements, these home setups reflect a deep commitment to creativity, imagination, and the joy of celebrating with loved ones.
What unites Williams, Muluneh, and others who go the extra mile is a shared understanding that Christmas decorating is more than just aesthetic—it is a form of storytelling, a way to create memories, and an opportunity to engage with the season on a deeper, more interactive level. For Williams, each year’s miniature town builds on the last, incorporating new pieces and reimagining layouts to keep the display fresh and engaging. For Muluneh, the snowball courtyard represents a combination of technical ingenuity and festive imagination, transforming ordinary spaces into extraordinary experiences for her children and guests.
Both stories illustrate the broader cultural shift taking place in the UAE, where residents are increasingly embracing elaborate, experiential forms of holiday decoration. In a region not traditionally associated with snowy winters, families are finding innovative ways to capture the essence of Christmas, merging nostalgia, creativity, and personal expression into displays that rival professional setups. Whether through miniature towns, artificial snowfall, or thematic lighting, these home-based decorations demonstrate how the holiday season can be celebrated anywhere, even in climates far removed from the traditional imagery of white Christmases.
Ultimately, the efforts of individuals like Tony Williams and Kanessa Muluneh highlight the joy of taking a personal vision and bringing it to life, creating festive spaces that engage all the senses. The meticulous planning, time investment, and imaginative execution required to achieve such displays underscore a broader appreciation for the holiday season, reminding us that Christmas is as much about creativity, family, and shared experiences as it is about tradition and decor. In their homes, miniature villages and snowball courtyards serve as portals to a magical world, capturing the spirit of Christmas and inspiring wonder, joy, and lasting memories for everyone who experiences them.
Hot Cocoa Station
Although Berna Ramey does not observe the religious aspects of Christmas, she still wanted to create a festive experience for the holiday season. Rather than following traditional decorations like Christmas trees, wreaths, and mistletoe, she decided to try something different: a dedicated hot cocoa bar.
Arranged on multi-tiered stands and shelves, the setup looks like a miniature hot chocolate café, featuring a variety of cocoa blends and an array of toppings, from marshmallows and peppermint bark to gingerbread. Seasonal touches and ornaments are added to keep it festive and dynamic: pumpkins and autumn leaves in fall, crescent moons and stars during Ramadan, and more. Ramey explained that the concept is meant to introduce her children to a range of cultures and celebrations. “Living here, they get to see so many different holidays, and it makes them excited about all of them,” she said.
Decorating on the Job
Meanwhile, professional decorator Alessandra Göttert Vianna has yet to begin decorating her own home for Christmas. Since the start of December, she has been completely absorbed in transforming the houses of her clients, leaving little time for her personal holiday setup. Eventually, she plans to put up her Christmas tree and add some lights, but her priority at the moment is finishing her client projects.
This month alone, Vianna has completed four large-scale home decorations. Some of these required one to two full days of work, while her largest project took three full days, from morning until night, to finish. Her schedule highlights just how intensive professional decorating can be, especially during the busy festive season.
