Durban — After 20 years of putting up Christmas lights and watching the smiles on the community’s faces, Annie’s Busy Beez, a baby care and preschool, was shocked to learn that some of their Christmas lights were stolen at the weekend.
Owner, Annie Moodie, who’s been running the preschool and putting up the lights for 20 years now, said she flooded social media to help find her lights which were stolen in the late evening of Sunday.
Moodie said the lights had been up since December 1 and she was shocked to find that four of them were stolen.
“I’ve been doing this for 20 years and this is the first time something like this has happened,” Moodie said.
“I started off with about six Christmas lights.”
Moodie said she wanted to deal with the matter herself, hence the Facebook posts.
She was hoping the lights could be found and returned to her as she believed someone had taken them to sell them for drugs or alcohol.
“It’s three Santas. A big one which is about 1m high, another playing a guitar and the third one is white and red. The fourth light was a reindeer,” Moodie said about the stolen lights.
“We do this every year. We put up different things and in different areas,” Moodie said.
“My oldest lights are about 18 years old.”
Reacting to the theft, Moodie said: “I’m very angry because what gives anyone the right to take away something that gives joy and happiness.”
Moodie said that in November, her installer checks the lights to see which ones work by doing the necessary checks. When that process is done, the lights go up in time for December. Everything is up and working by December 1.
Asked what made her start this 20-year tradition, Moodie said: “I love Christmas, it’s my favourite time of the year. It is something I inherited from my mom.
“It’s not just the children but the community that loves it and is in awe of it.”
Moodie said children post letters to Santa and she has a letter box for it. The letters with email addresses get responses.
She also said that on December 22, 23 and 24, they open up their home for people to come in for pictures and enjoy the display which is outside and inside their property.
Moodie added that there was a R1 000 reward for the return of the lights.
WhatsApp your views on this story to 071 485 7995.
Daily News