Amazing Christmas trees around the world!
- Published
Let's start in London where these skaters are enjoying a lovely bright Christmas tree at the Natural History Museum. The Museum was opened in 1881 and houses more than 80 million items including plant and animal exhibits, archaeological relics and rocks and minerals.
The most famous London Christmas tree is the one in Trafalgar Square in central London, not far from Buckingham Palace. Norway sends the UK a Christmas tree for Trafalgar Square every year as an annual tradition to say thank you for attempts to help defend the country during the Second World War, but some people have criticised it this year for being a bit sparse! Rude!
More skaters now at another famous tree - the one at the Rockefeller Center in Manhattan, New York. For more than eight decades, a tree has stood here at Christmas time. Traditionally it is a Norway spruce in the later years of its life cycle, measuring at least 75 feet tall and 45 feet in diameter,
Still in the US but something very different! Only in LA would you combine a Christmas tree display with two palm trees - also lit up to celebrate the season of goodwill!
Staying in the Americas, here's a view of a giant Christmas tree, in the city of Villahermosa, Tabasco state, Mexico. Indigenous Maya Yokotan artisans celebrated by making nativity scenes, trees and Christmas figures in vegetable fibre and wood, after they cancelled their festivities for the two previous years.
Down to the megacity of Sao Paulo in Brazil in South America next. These people are taking selfies at a Christmas tree at Ibirapuera Park. With one of the world’s fastest-growing populations, Sao Paulo is the largest city of the southern hemisphere and one of the largest in the world - the city proper has a population of more than 10 million, and the greater city region has around 20 million inhabitants.
This Christmas tree is sitting where the story began - in Bethlehem. The tree-lighting ceremony here involves fireworks and huge crowds and is a big tourist and religious attraction. The tree stands in Manger Square, next to the Church of Nativity which you can see in the background.
To neighbouring Lebanon now and its capital and largest city - Beirut. The tree there has wings and is surrounded by a model of the port area to symbolise rebirth, after a massive chemical explosion there in 2020 destroyed a huge area of the port and city.
Over to Australia and a different scene - Christmas in shorts and sunglasses? This photo shows people gathering at Federation Square in Melbourne. Because Australia is in the southern hemisphere, Christmas comes during summer time!
Into Asia now and to Hanoi in Vietnam where these shop workers are putting the finishing touches to the decorations on a tree in a VERY Christmassy shop. Christmas is considered one of the main annual religious festivals in Vietnam.
Little trees and lots of lights on show in Johannesburg in South Africa. You can see a couple walking under the tunnel at the annual lights festival at the Melrose Arch shopping mall. The lights are a tourist attraction as families come to have their photographs taken with the colourful display.
Back to Europe now where this illuminated Christmas tree stands in front of the parliament 'Bundestag', in Berlin, Germany
And a similarly gigantic tree with a star on top stands in Amsterdam city centre in the Netherlands. The Christmas tree on Dam Square shows off the royal palace in the background, that two young people on bikes have come to check out.
Spain next and to the city of Seville in Andalusia. Thousands of people came to see the lighting of the tallest digital Christmas tree in Europe - which stands 40 metres tall!
And if you love a brightly lit tree, let's skip over to Italy next where this spectacular scene shows people attending the lightening ceremony of the official Christmas tree in the northern city of Turin, home of the Juventus football team.
At least that party wasn't affected by rain unlike this scene in the Vatican City where the umbrellas are out to see the lighting of the tree in Saint Peters Square - a tree donated by the Trentino region of Italy.
To Russia next and the eastern city of Vladivostok where a worker is decorating a Christmas and New Year's tree. The city is located on the coast of the Sea of Japan and is largest Russian port on the Pacific Ocean. Behind the tree you can see the golden domes of the Transfiguration Cathedral.
Back to the US for one more quirky tree - made entirely of lobster pots! You can actually go inside this attraction in in Stonington, Connecticut, USA. The tree is made up of nearly 350 modern lobster pots and decorated with hand painted buoys and lights.