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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The Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree arrived in New York City on Saturday, signaling the start of the holiday season in the Big Apple. The 74-foot Norway spruce was driven into Manhattan’s Center Plaza, where it was hoisted in place by a crane. It will take 5 miles (about 8 kilometers) of light strands with more than 50,000 multicolored LED bulbs to wrap the tree, whose diameter measures 43 feet (13 meters). A Swarovski star crown sparkling with 3 million crystals will top it. The towering conifer, donated by the Albert family in West Stockbridge, Massachusetts, was cut down Thursday morning and loaded onto a flatbed truck for the 140-mile (225-kilometer) trip. It is the first Rockefeller Center Christmas tree to come from Massachusetts since 1959. It was met in New Yo...
Read MoreThere will be no Christmas tree in Bethlehem this year as the traditional site of Jesus' birth holds pared-down celebrations "without the fanfare and without too many lights" in the shadow of the Gaza war. Bethlehem, which neighbours Jerusalem in the occupied West Bank, has been battered by Israeli-Palestinian clashes of years past. But many townspeople have been especially gripped by the current conflict in the Gaza Strip, 50 km (30 miles) away. A man lights a candle as he prepares the Church of the Nativity on the day of the launch of the beginning of the Christmas season, as the conflict between Israel and Palestinian Islamist group Hamas continues, in Bethlehem in the Israeli-occupied West Bank December 2, 2023. REUTERS/Ammar Awad In the early days of every December, church l...
Read More- Visitors can pledge to live a more sustainable life- A unique and immersive carbon neutral festive tree installation- Supporting the UAE as it rides the crest of a global sustainability wave The most wonderful time of the year is fast approaching, and Mall of the Emirates in Dubai has launched a unique festive installation that looks firmly to the future. Running from now until 25 December, Mall of the Emirates will curate a world of joy and adventure for families, shoppers, and mall visitors to immerse themselves in. Mall of the Emirates in Dubai has launched a captivating eight metre tall festive tree installation that sends a powerful message to the world The centrepiece of the mall's festive spectacle this year is a captivating eight metre tall festive tree installation tha...
Read MoreResidents lit up a giant Christmas tree outside Bethlehem's Church of the Nativity on Saturday, hoping that a new coronavirus variant doesn't ruin another holiday season in the traditional birthplace of Jesus. The Palestinian city in the Israeli-occupied West Bank was all but closed last Christmas, losing its peak tourist season to the pandemic. Palestinians light a Christmas tree at Manger Square outside the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem, in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, December 4, 2021. REUTERS/Mussa Qawasma This December has seen Israel shut out foreign travellers for 14 days to try to prevent the Omicron variant taking hold, and the hope is that the ban will end as scheduled, in time for Christmas travel. In its last pre-pandemic winter, in 2019/20, Bethlehem hosted ...
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