Since the discovery of electricity, human beings have been amazed by colored lights, and today light decorations have reached a supreme level. How dark was the world a century ago!
A super special time of the year to enjoy fairy lights is Christmas, so Christmas lights and tourism They go hand in hand. Let's see today where we can enjoy this magical pairing.
Christmas lights in Tokyo
If something stands out Tokyo it is in the magnificence of its lighting, no matter the time of year. The first time I went to Tokyo and emerged from the subway in Shinjuku I was amazed by the intensity and definition of its lights. It was like suddenly having 4K eyes. Really.
Even during the 2011 tsunami there were no major power outages. Everything is on, everything has light. And of course, for these dates the city lights up in a wonderful way. And that the Japanese are not Christians.
Where can we see the best Christmas lights in Tokyo? Well, there are several places, so if you are lucky enough to be there, take advantage. Let's remember that Japan opened to foreign tourism definitively on October 11.
there are christmas lights in Roppongi Hills, a complex of buildings brought to life by the lights placed above Mori Garden and Keyakizaka Avenue. Not to mention the huge Christmas tree at the Roku-Roku Plaza. Some 80 lamps are estimated throughout this area. Roppongi Hills Christmas lights They are held until December 25.
in what would be tokyo midtown there are also christmas lights. The Christmas tree lights up, but this year, smoke bubbles are also released every six minutes. That will be until December 14. Many other trees also carry lights and an ice rink is set up for skating. All until December 25.
El Tokyo skytree, the tallest building in the city, also welcomes Christmas. This tower is wonderful, never miss it. I have visited it once, but this year I return and I do not intend to miss it. The tower is illuminated with the colors of Christmas and decorated with winter lights, precisely celebrating the tenth anniversary of the area.
the tokyo sky tree It will have two sets of lights this 2022. One is called Vela and the other Champagne. There will also an eight meter high Christmas tree and a flea market. All until December 25.
Omotensando Hills It is a very popular place among tourists and it has also been filled with lights this year. The installation has been in charge of the artists from Daisy Balloons, there is a floating tree with more than 14 thousand round-shaped bulbs, and if you walk along Omotesando avenue you will marvel at the 900 thousand lit lamps. Also, all on until December 25.
Finally, There are also Christmas lights in Yebisu Garden Place, in Shinjuku South Terrace, in the Marunouchi area, in Hibiya, in Tokyo Dome City and on the artificial island of Odaiba. Many of these lights stay until the first days of January or even until February. The truth is that it goes off forever in Tokyo, so if you arrive after Christmas you can enjoy the New Year lights.
Christmas lights and New York
There are really special cities to visit at Christmas and without a doubt New York is one of them. How glamourous! From 5th Avenue onwards you will witness a beautiful and colorful spectacle.
Aim, then. In Brooklyn the best Christmas lights are those of Dyker Heights. Every December the site takes on a life of its own and organizes a light tour special that begins in Manhattan looking at showcases until ending in a light show. The bus tour lasts three and a half hours and ends with hot chocolate and something to eat. It begins the day after Thanksgiving, that is, on November 26.
Another place to see Christmas lights in New York is the Fifth Avenue, the street where the best-known stores such as Saks, Bergdorf Goodman, Tiffany, Lord and Taylor or Henri Bendel are. But Saks, without a doubt, remains a favorite among the locals for its exhibitions and its light show.
You can also walk around Washington Square Park, in Lower Manhattan, with its imposing Christmas tree, its fantastic lights and a Santa Claus handing out sweets. The Lincoln center plaza It's also a classic, with truly magical Christmas lights and a manger. the same the Radio City Music Hall, Empire State Building, Rockefeller Plaza Center, Bank of America Winter Village, at Bryant Park or the New York Botanical Garden and of course, Time Warner and Central Park they cannot be absent.
Christmas lights in Madrid
The truth is that Madrid has its thing in terms of Christmas lighting. Streets, squares and buildings come alive when literally millions of lamps are lit, from the end of November to January 6, Three Kings Day.
Then, The first Christmas lights were turned on on November 24 at 7 pm, in the Plaza de España.a. They will remain there until next year with different lighting times.
For example, from Sunday to Thursday they turn on at 6 pm and turn off at midnight; Friday and Saturday turn off an hour later and then there are specific dates: December 4, 5, 6, 7 and 8 turn on at 6 pm and turn off at 1 am, December 25 and December 5 January they go out at 3 in the morning and on December 31 much later, at 6 in the morning they will stop shining.
Where can you see Christmas lights in Madrid? In more than 230 places, to be exact, 7500 chains, 115 cherry trees and 13 fir trees huge will come to life. The main fir is the natural fir of Plaza de España. To all this are added the nativity scenes at the historic gates, such as San Vicente or Toledo and the Segovia street viaduct. You will also see the illuminated great menina, on Paseo del Prado, and the ball at the junction of Alcalá and Gran Vía streets.
In the Colon Square there is a nativity scene with huge figures, 10 meters high with thousands of led lights, a illuminated fir tree 35 meters high in the Puerta del Sol… If you do not live in Madrid and you are visiting you can take the Naviluz, the Christmas bus, which runs through the best streets of the Spanish capital to enjoy the lights. The service began operating on November 25 and ends on January 6. You can buy the tickets on their official website.
These are some examples of how the christmas lights and tourism they go hand in hand in the best way. What a good pairing!