Mangums make holiday lights a bonding tradition
During the holiday season, many Sammamish families decorate their homes with festive lights and decorations to spread the festive cheer. For the Mangums — this year’s Sammamish Independent holiday lights competition winner — that means putting up an impressive 10,000 lights across their property in the Inglewood neighborhood.
Nathan and Meagan Mangum, a husband and wife team, have been decorating with Christmas lights since before they were married. It was a shared interest that started in their childhoods.
“I’ve helped my family put up lights since I was a kid, and thankfully I found someone who loves it just as much as I do,” said Nathan Mangum, 43.
Decorating has become a yearly tradition for the couple, and while their display uses similar elements each year, they always look for ways to improve it.
“Although we do something similar every year, we love to keep adding different items that reflect parts of our life,” said Meagan Mangum, 41. “Our goal is to light up another dark corner every year and just keep improving our display.”
One of the most meaningful decorations for them is the husky sled team placed on their front lawn, which represents the times when they welcomed two huskies into their family. They got their first dog in Nov. 2017, and added a second pup in July 2024. Another favorite is the globe lights lining their roof, one of the earliest decorations they put up together.
The property itself has been modified to enhance the experience. It includes a gravel path in the front yard so that visitors can walk around and enjoy the decorations.
Creating such a large display does come with challenges. Trees and wildlife often create issues.
“There’s countless times I’ve had to climb up and repair some electrical work because of squirrels that have bitten the wiring,” said Nathan Mangum. “Thankfully, no squirrels were harmed.”
The Mangums also carefully choose water-resistant lights to avoid electrical problems caused by rain — a feature of holidays in the Seattle area. Before putting anything up, they spend two full days planning everything out on a map of their house, including where every decoration, light and color will go.
The Mangums keep their lights up for a few weeks after New Year’s Day to hold onto the memories they have created together, and to share their work with neighbors for a bit longer.
To see the Mangum family’s holiday lights display, you may visit them at 414 218th Ave NE, Sammamish.
