CITIES ALL OVER the world look their best at Christmas.
Festive markets and villages pop up, shop windows and displays become elaborate and mesmerising and streets are bustling with seasonal shoppers being entertained by Christmas themed street performers and groups of carol singers.
Perhaps the most iconic symbol of Christmas in cities from Dublin to New York, or Tokyo to Berlin are the Christmas trees…
This tree is a worldwide symbol of the festive season in New York City, made even more famous by its appearance in Home Alone. The tree was revealed on December 3rd this year and will be up until 8pm on January 7th, 2015.
The 48ft tree at the Emirates Palace hotel in Abu Dhabi is fittingly extravagant. The tree came under fire in previous years for boasting millions of euro worth of decorations made of gold, diamonds and precious stones like sapphire. It has been toned down more recently but is certainly still a sight worth seeing.
Designer Ginza Tanaka is renowned for creating lavish designs. Having created the world’s most expensive Christmas tree in the past, he has outdone himself for Christmas 2014 by creating a platinum Disney Christmas tree worth over €2 million. The tree is decorated with characters from Frozen and stands at 2.6 metres, weighing 31kg.
If €2 million is a little out of your price range, you can pick up a mini version for just over €3200. Bargain.
Sydney is home to the world’s biggest LEGO Christmas tree this year. The tree comes to life every single evening with a magical light show until December 26th.
The world’s largest floating Christmas tree stands 85 metres high into the sky in Rio. The 542 tonne tree has been a tradition in the city since 1996 and was officially lit up on November 29th this year to a dazzling fireworks display over the Rodrigo de Freitas Lagoon.
The tree at Galeries Lafayette in Paris has long been an iconic symbol of Christmas in the city of light. And 2014 is no exception, with an extravagant, elaborately decadent tree breaking new ground as it is suspended upside down from the dome in the department store.
The tree will play host to a wonderful light and sound show every hour for shoppers and is decorated in accordance with the store’s ‘Monster Christmas’ theme for 2014.
Trafalgar Square hosts one of London’s most well known Christmas trees. The Norwegian Spruce is a gift from the people of Norway to thank Britain for their support in World War II and has been tradition since 1947. The tree was lit on December 4th this year by the Mayor of Westminster, the governing Mayor of Oslo and the Norwegian Ambassador.
The tree is decorated in traditional Norwegian style with vertical strings of lights. And all of the light bulbs used are energy-efficient.
Closer to home we have our very own new iconic Christmas tree in Dublin – the SPAR Twitter Tree in Ranelagh. In aid of the National Children’s Hospital in Tallaght, SPAR are lighting up their tree above the store in Ranelagh and donating €20,000 to the National Children’s Hospital.
All you have to do is tweet #underthetree and SPAR will donate to the National Children’s Hospital on your behalf and a bulb on the SPAR Twitter Tree in Ranelagh will light up.
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