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On December 8 of this year, I saw an online article by Caitlin Morton for Conde Nast Traveler Magazine. I thought the photos were so beautiful and wanted to share them with you. And, although I might disagree with the title of her article, as we have many, many beautiful displays of Christmas lights in all areas of the United States, I enjoy seeing how other countries use their lights. Here is her article:
These aren't your average neighborhood Christmas decorations—think 80-foot trees, illuminated ice skating rinks, and LEDs so dazzling that they set actual world records. From California to Copenhagen, here are 15 of our favorite places around the world to see holiday lights. This gallery was originally published in 2014. It has been updated with new picks.
WINTER ILLUMINATIONS, TOKYO, JAPAN
Tokyo’s winter illuminations see districts around the city trying to outdo each other with their sensational displays. Travelers have certainly taken advantage of the jolly competition—the illuminations are so popular, that lights remain up in the city until February. You can't lose at any location, but we're particularly fond of Blue Cavern ("Ao no Dokutsu") in Shibuya, an electric version of blue grottos you'd find in the Mediterranean.
LUCI D'ARTISTA, SALERNO, ITALY
Each year, the streets and squares of Salerno light up for Luci d'Artista, a festival of light installations and Christmas activities. This year's additions include an LED replication of the night sky, an illuminated zoo, and lemon tree-shaped lights serving as a tribute to the nearby Amalfi Coast. Also new this year is a 60-foot ferris wheel, which provides sweeping views of the displays from above.
GLEBE PARK CHRISTMAS, CANBERRA, AUSTRALIA
Canberra is known for its Christmas displays, setting a world record back in 2014 for the most lights on an artificial Christmas tree (518,838, in case you're curious). The city moved its holiday festival from City Walk to Glebe Park this year, opening December 8 and lasting through Christmas Eve. The event features 65 Christmas trees under a canopy of lights (bucking the tradition of one giant tree), a petting zoo, an outdoor cinema with screenings of Home Alone and Elf, and more fun holiday activities.
LUZTOPÍA, MONTERREY, MEXICO
Looking for a warm-weather Christmas celebration? Head to Monterrey in northeastern Mexico for “Luztopia,” an annual display of 15,500 lights and 200 massive illuminated figures. The festival runs until early January this year, taking up nearly two miles of canal-side real estate along the city's Paseo de Santa Lucía.
NEWPORT BEACH CHRISTMAS BOAT PARADE, NEWPORT BEACH, CALIFORNIA
The Newport Beach Christmas Boat Parade is one of the longest-running holiday festivals in the entire country, celebrating its 109th anniversary this year from December 13-17. (To compare, the Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree Lighting has been running for 85 years.) The "parade" takes place in the harbor of Newport Beach, where yachts, boats, and kayaks show off $50,000 worth of decorations to millions of visitors.
TIVOLI GARDENS, COPENHAGEN, DENMARK
Ever since it opened in 1843, Copenhagen's Tivoli Gardens have been a holiday tradition for both locals and tourists. And extravagant light shows are part of the festivities, too: In addition to a Christmas light show, which illuminates Tivoli Lake, there are fireworks and even more lights in the week between Christmas and New Year's.
CHAMPS-ELYSÉES, PARIS, FRANCE
Getting stuck in a traffic jam on the Champs-Elysees might not seem so bad during the holiday season. The 200 trees that line the iconic thoroughfare are lit with hundreds of LED lights, which change color from white to purple to red over the course of an evening.
DYKER HEIGHTS, BROOKLYN, NEW YORK
Prepare to be thoroughly overwhelmed by the Christmas spirit in this Brooklyn neighborhood, which goes all out on the decorations each year. Lights go up after Thanksgiving and last through the New Year, so there's plenty of time to see the layers upon layers of lights, plastic Santas, and lawn-ornament reindeer.
SOMERSET HOUSE, LONDON, U.K.
Somerset House turns into a veritable winter wonderland in the colder months. Not only does its ice-skating rink stay open and in use until January, but its gigantic Christmas tree is kitted out with lights and decorations every year, as well.
LIBERTY MONUMENT, TBILISI, GEORGIA
The Liberty Monument sparkles each winter in Tbilisi’s Freedom Square, where the tower depicting Saint George slaying a dragon is decorated with lights to create a makeshift Christmas tree. The setup lasts through New Year's and is the centerpiece of a citywide celebration.
KOBE LUMINARIE, KOBE, JAPAN
Each year, the town of Kobe holds a brilliant light show to commemorate the Great Hanshin earthquake of 1995. The motif for the piece changes each year; this year, the theme is "Guardando Futuro," or "A Gaze Into the Future."
CHRISTMAS MARKET, JENA, GERMANY
Jena’s Christmas market, also known as Christkindlmarkt, is a street market that commences at the start of Advent. It takes place on the picturesque main square of the city, where stalls selling food and drinks accompany traditional singing and dancing. Every day at 5 p.m., the Christmas trumpet sounds from the tower of the town hall, and as dusk settles, the market lights up to create a glow that can be spotted for miles around the city.
ROCKEFELLER CENTER, NEW YORK, NY
A must-see for every Christmas fanatic, the 78-foot tree at Rockefeller Center is wrapped with a whopping five miles of wire decorated with some 45,000 lights. The first tree was lit in 1933 and now, more than half a million people walk by the tree daily, stopping along the way to skate on the famed ice rink.
CATHEDRAL SQUARE, VILNIUS, LITHUANIA
Designed each year for the national Christmas tree lighting, this storybook tree is actually a metal frame covered in carefully cut branches. This year's tree is more than 88 feet tall and covered with some 70,000 bulbs—a spectacle so bright, it can be seen from the windows of planes landing at Vilnius Airport. Visitors can also enjoy the surrounding market, Christmas train operated by elves, and 3D shows projected onto the side of Vilnius Cathedral.
how dare they?!
they forgot baltimores own 34th street...... going on for 71 years!
https://www.christmasstreet.com/
baltimores famous hubcap tree.....
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