A flip of the switch, some oohs and ahhs from a crowd of onlookers, and a giant decorated Christmas tree went up in lights on Vienna’s town hall square as the Yuletide season got rolling in Austria’s capital on Saturday evening. Mulled wine was poured, frosted gingerbread cookies dangled from the roofs of vendors’ stalls, kiddies rode a carousel and a brass band tooted out Johann Strauss II’s “The Blue Danube” waltz as the holiday merriment set in. Vienna Mayor Michael Ludwig joined the ceremonial illumination of the 30-meter (about 100-foot) spruce that bedecked the square in front of town hall, which also was bathed in light. This year Vienna upped the ante by decorating the tree with 2,000 LED lights and 1,000 Christmas baubles at the market, which drew 3.3 million visitor...
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Thousands of people poured into Prague's medieval Old Town Square at the weekend for the lighting of a 25-metre (80-foot) Christmas tree and the reopening of the annual market after a two-year COVID-19 shutdown, but the energy crisis meant fewer lights than usual. A Christmas tree is illuminated as the traditional Christmas market opens at the Old Town Square in Prague, Czech Republic, November 26, 2022. REUTERS/David W Cerny The market, which is popular with Czechs and foreign tourists alike thanks to its mulled wine, sausages, sweets and gifts, was set up with more energy-efficient bulbs to both save money and send a seasonal message of energy efficiency. "We have decided to cut back on the numbers of illuminated ornaments in the streets and we use the most modern LED lighting,...
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