The more the merrier: Wearside family celebrate Christmas with rare identical triplets

Aside from the presents and the big dinner, for many Christmas is really about the birth of a baby some two thousand years ago.

Well, one family on Wearside are sticking to that tradition, by celebrating not one newborn, not even two, but three.

The Lindsay family from Houghton-le-Spring are spending their first festive season with their incredibly rare triplets, Abel Jay, Asher James and Azariah Joseph.

The identical boys were conceived naturally and came as quite a surprise to mum Amy and dad Alex.

Alex and heavily pregnant Amy with Zion and Elijah. Credit: Family photo

The couple also have two older sons, Elijah, aged 4 and Zion, aged 2.

The arrival of triplet boys almost doubled the size of the Lindsay family overnight.

Mum Amy said her initial reaction to the unexpected news that she was expecting triplets was concern over how to evenly spread attention across five children.

The chances of having naturally conceived identical triplets is incredibly rare.

While the exact odds are difficult to work out, it's believed you're statistically more likely to win the lottery.

The family feel like they bagged the jackpot, as Amy's past medical history dashed the chances of the couple being able to have children naturally.

Amy went through treatment for Hodgkins lymphoma in her twenties, making these bundles of joy even more miraculous.