SOLVA is sparkling into Christmas this year, as the village is transformed into a life-sized advent calendar.

The Sparkling Solva project sees at least one window in the village decorated and lit up in the run up to Christmas.

Free maps detailing the houses and businesses taking part, and when each window will be lit, are available in the village shop, the village's memorial hall and the surgery.

"This is something we'd been thinking about doing for years," said Solva Care co-ordinator, Lena Dixon. "It started in Stockholm where I'm from."

One of Solva Care's members has a relative who is involved with Penally's successful Light up the Lanes advent calendar, now in its second year.

She gave a talk to members of Solva Care about the project and the idea sparkled into reality. The response from the village was so enthusiastic that around 38 houses and buildings signed up for it.

The festive windows will be lit from 5pm until 10pm every evening in the run up to Christmas.

"Some days we have more than one window lit up," said Lena. "Several windows were lit up for the village's Christmas shopping event last week."

On December 21, weather permitting, members of the village's Singing for Fun group will sing carols outside windows around the village, followed by mulled wine and mince pies in the village hall.

Solva Care also plans to take more elderly members of the community out one evening to see the windows.

There is also a sparkling Solva blog on the Solva Care website so that people who cannot make it out to see the windows can still enjoy them.

"It's been really good," said Lena. "Everyone is talking about it. I think we're going to get a lot more windows next year. It's very exciting."