The cold of the night has not been an impediment for a tide of attendees to gather this Saturday at the Puerta del Sol in Vigo, expectant to witness the starting shot of some festivities that have already established themselves as an attraction – this year, they were deployed neither more nor less than 11 million LEDs in 420 streets, about 1,300 arches and 2,500 illuminated trees. And the person in charge of doing it, like every year, was none other than the mayor of Vigo, Abel Caballero.
The councilor headed to “a happy, supportive city”, for which he wished health in the economy and in leisure, celebrating his “unity project.” The time had come to “light up” Christmas 2024. Because, as he himself said, “When we turn on the Christmas lights in Vigo, Christmas starts on the planet.” Caballero openly expressed his “enormous pride” in “having recovered a tradition, a culture, that was beginning to disappear.”
«We lived it as children, we were happy. We all remember our families, from that Christmas so many years ago. Today we do it in the 21st century. It is already Christmas for a country, for a city, for a different century,” he proclaimed. And he reiterated his welcome to all attendees, coming “from so many places in Galicia (…), and even from so many places in Spain, from so many places in this great country and from so many other countries (…). In this moment of harmony, of happiness, we start a great tradition from Vigo. The Christmas tradition. ‘This is Christmas’.
Then, Caballero launched into a simile: «Symbolically, we are all in the center of this tree -for the great fir tree-, which symbolizes Christmas on this planet. It is our enthusiasm and what we want to keep happening. Because Christmas starts today and has to continue illustrating and filling all of Spain, all of Europe, all of the world, throughout the year. And that has a very important word: ‘Peace’. “That is the word of Christmas,” he added.
Precisely, before the celebrations, the square was immersed in an act of respect. “This year the lighting is going to be different,” Caballero warned: “We are going to light this tree first – because of the large fir tree of lights -. And we are going to do it in tribute to Valencia, from affection and love. From here we want to send you all our appreciation, our respect and our solidarity. Our pain for the victims, for the damage that DANA caused. The mammoth fir tree of lights, more than 44 meters high, illuminated with the colors of the Valencian flag, began to project the ‘Forza Valencia’ message to the sound of the regional anthem. In front, Caballero and his team, in a horizontal line, waited for it to ring completely.
The countdown
At the end, in the middle of a ‘forest’ of still dead trees, the councilor began the countdown. “Three, two, one, zero!” And there was light. The entire square lit up, the large trees lit up and ‘came to life’, and the Christmas carols began. Looking up, the vision was spectacular: a colossal star, crowning the very large fir tree, became an explosion of colors reminiscent of the shape of a firework.
With the music still playing, and in front of a mass of people who were beginning to disperse to explore the lighting of the different streets, Caballero sent one last message: «Forza Valencia, visit Valencia! Long live Vigo! Christmas has started on the planet! Forward!”
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