Syntagma Square “flooded” with Christmas light tonight. More than 60,000 colorful lights with a total length of 5 km, lit up the Christmas Tree from top to bottom, pleasantly surprising the Athenians, who at that time were passing through the most central part of the capital.
The 19-meter-high tree, which “traveled” to Athens from Karpenisi, was illuminated through an audiovisual spectacle, organized by the Municipality of Athens, thus “announcing” the official start of the festive season in the city -32 days before Christmas.
At the time of the lighting, the mayor of Athens, Costas Bakoyannis, had a meeting with the Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew in a hotel in Syntagma Square, from where they had the opportunity to watch the glamorous event together.
In a statement, Mr. Bakoyannis stressed: “This year we chose to decorate Athens earlier than ever, in an effort to leave behind the negative climate of the pandemic and bring the festive atmosphere to the city faster. At the same time, we want to contribute to the stimulation of the Athenian market, which has been suffering the consequences of the health crisis all this time. The focus of the lighting, as every year, is Syntagma Square, however the Christmas atmosphere reaches from one end to the other in all the neighborhoods and squares. With a low-cost material and technical infrastructure, which will be used in the coming years for the decoration of the city, Athens emits the glow of a modern European capital this year as well. We call on the Athenians to enjoy the festive atmosphere with their families, but we ask them to respectfully observe the sanitary measures: The condition of celebration is the protection of the health and life of all of us “.
The spectacle in Syntagma Square
Beams of light made for a few minutes night and day, while impressive cinematic images, composed an atmosphere of joy and celebration, sending the optimistic message that the “hazy” mood imposed by the pandemic can be overturned and the best days are ahead.
Syntagma Square, the Greek Parliament, as well as the streets and buildings around, were illuminated with 350,000 lights with a total length of 29.5 km. The spectacle was accompanied by the original music of the composer and sound artist, Stavros Gasparatou.
Festive atmosphere in the neighborhoods as well
The ambitious plan of the Municipality of Athens to decorate and illuminate all the neighborhoods of Athens is in full swing. From Neos Kosmos and Pagrati to Goudi, Kolonos and Votanikos, the city is already turning into a glamorous scene with light bulbs, stars, colorful balls and garlands.
Ornate constructions are erected in 35 squares, while more than 4,000 ornaments are placed on the streets. The decoration is completed by garlands with a total length of 70 km and lighting tubes on the columns. With the illumination of the squares, the main avenues, the ring roads, but also the smaller streets, Athens is gradually completing its bright decoration in view of Christmas.
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