CHRISTMAS is a time for families to come together, but people bond in different ways.
It could be by exchanging gifts, it could be by laughing at horrendous cracker jokes or it could be by decorating the Christmas tree.
For the Mortons in west Hull, it is very much the latter. And then some.
Inside and out, their Goodrich Close home is a sight to see come the festive season, after more than a decade of constantly adding to their collection of decorations.
With three generations of the family living together, decking the halls with boughs of holly is something everyone gets stuck in with.
Steven Morton, 25, said: "Everyone gets involved and into the Christmas spirit."
It has become something they build up to each year, always on the look out for more baubles and bangles.
No one knows which member of the family gets most excited at pulling the decorations out from under the stairs.
From grandmother Edna, to Steven and his brother Will, through parents Audrey and Billy, it's a hobby that seems to run through their veins.
Mr Morton said: "When we were little we would always add more stuff to the house every year.
"Some of our lights wouldn't work and we would buy new ones, but we would just keep adding and adding.
"We always say we aren't going to buy anything new, but every year we do."
Edna Morton, 70, said: "Whenever we go into town, if I see something I like and I have the money, I just get it."
This year is no different and the new additions to the display are shaped frames for lights, including one depicting a shooting star.
No one dares hazard a guess at how much the collection is worth but, with almost every inch of the house, outside and in, covered with something shiny, it is safe to say it's a lot.
While no individual item is the family favourite, the centrepiece is definitely the fibre optic Christmas tree.
It is a big job, taking three weeks and more than 1,000 pins, to get all the decorations up, so the family always get started at the beginning of November.
"It's three weeks to put up and one day to take down," Mr Morton said.
"But it's worth the effort."
The house has become a neighbourhood favourite, with people counting down the days to the big switch on.
Mr Morton said: "We have people come round asking us when we are putting our lights up and, when we do, they come round with their kids to have a look."
Mrs Morton thinks more people should decorate their houses.
She said: "You would think people would, but they don't, they aren't into it like we are.
"It would make the area more cheerful if they did. When you look out of the window at night it looks a bit morbid."
Mr Morton thinks the house stands a good chance in the Mail's competition to find East Yorkshire's best festively decorated home.
He said: "When I read about the competition in the Mail last week, I knew I wanted to show off what our house is like."
Mrs Morton agrees: "My little grandson is about to turn seven and he loves how the house is decorated," she said.
"His eyes just light up when he sees it, he's always telling his friends."
