Christmas time is all about bringing together the very best things in life; family, friends, lavish food and of course lots and lots of wonderful light displays. From the very biggest Christmas trees to classic inflatable Santas – we’ve given you a rundown of the best places in the world to enjoy the sparkling lights and Christmas cheer with some tips on how to make the most of your own Christmas lights!
8. Cathedral Square, Vilnius, Lithuania
With a population of just under 3 million, Lithuania is certainly on the smaller side of the European countries. Although small in size, this Christian country doesn’t disappoint on Christmas cheer. Every year, towards the end of November, the center of Vilnius (Lithuania’s capital) transforms into a winter wonderland complete with its very own giant Christmas tree. This year’s tree has been draped with 50,000 light bulbs! The lights, Christmas tree, and market stalls are all a must see if you’re in the northern Baltic region this Christmas.
7. Ayala Triangle Gardens, Manila, Philippines
Manila’s business district, Makati City, is home to one of the best Christmas lights displays in the Philippines. The outdoor display held in the Ayala Triangle Gardens, is comprised of more than a million tiny lights that decorate the trees and surrounding gardens. The magical light show, complete with festive tunes, runs every day from 6pm to 8pm and will be on until early January.
6. Medellin, Colombia
The infamous home of Pablo Escobar is also equally famous for its annual Christmas lights display, El Alumbrado. This year’s Christmas light show will feature an extraordinary 31 million LED lights, 42,000 hand woven figures and 13 tons of multicolored metallic paper. The entire city comes to life during the festive season and is definitely worth a visit if you’re planning Christmas in the South American continent.
5. Oxford Street, London
London’s premier shopping street gets a yearly glamorous makeover to celebrate all things Christmas and 2016 is no different. For Christmas 2016, Oxford Street will be lit up with over 750,000 LED bulbs and close to 2,000 sparkling snowball-like decorations. It’s the perfect place to feel the magic of the season before getting stuck into some serious shopping.
4. Rockefeller Centre, New York
Every year the square in front of the Rockefeller Centre, in New York, is brought to life with an intricately decorated gigantic Norwegian Spruce tree – and this year’s tree stands at an impressive 94 ft.! The Rockefeller Christmas Tree, as it’s referred to, is the city’s Christmas centerpiece. Apart from the spectacular tree, there are plenty of Christmassy things to keep you enjoying the festive spirit – here’s Timeout’s handy guide to give you the complete low down.
3. Vienna, Austria
Christmas time in Vienna is not so much about inflatable Santas and red nosed reindeer but more about understated glittering elegance. We recommend walking around the city’s center starting at Michaelerplatz Christmas market and meandering your way through the glittering lights to finish in the famous Christkindlmarkt at Rathauspark – by which time you would have earned yourself a mug of delicious traditional mulled wine – or two or four!
2. Shiodome Caretta Illumination
Every year the Shiodome shopping center in Tokyo puts on a light show like no other. This year will see the Caretta Illumination 2016 ‘Canyon d’Azur’, the malls 11th running show, come to life right in the middle of the shopping complex. Between November 17th and Valentine’s Day (2017) you can enjoy a 6 minute audio-visual light show, featuring over 250,000 LEDs. This is one not to miss if you find yourself in Japan this Christmas season.
1. Dyker Heights, Brooklyn, New York
In the heart of Brooklyn lies a row of houses, which for most of the year are pretty average looking. However for a few weeks every year, during Christmas time, the residents of Dyker Heights put on the most outrageous and out there Christmas decoration displays you’ve ever set your eyes on. Think enormous inflatable Santas, sparkling Rudolfs and millions of Christmas light varieties to dazzle you. This neighborhood is so popular that every year over 100,000 people visit the streets just to take in the homemade displays of Christmas cheer. We recommend you take a personalized tour and book early to avoid disappointment as tickets sell out fast!
Christmas fairy lights bring a festive magic like nothing else and if you’re planning to decorate your home with them this year there are a few things to keep in mind. Here some top tips to keep you and your family merry and safe this Christmas!
1. When purchasing a live tree, check for freshness. A fresh tree will stay green longer and be less of a fire hazard than a dry tree.
2. Because heated rooms dry out live trees rapidly, be sure to keep the stand filled with water by refilling daily.
3. When purchasing an artificial tree, look for the label “Fire Resistant.” This label indicates that the tree is more resistant to burning.
4. Don’t use electrical ornaments or light strings on artificial trees with metallic leaves or branch coverings.
5. Place your tree at least 3 feet away from all heat sources, including fireplaces, radiators, and space heaters.
6. Remember to keep your wifi router as far away from the Christmas tree as possible. Your wifi signal can be affected by your fairy lights because of the electromagnetic radiation they emit. In fact, Ofcom has even warned that it could significantly slow your internet down!
7. And finally… if you want to avoid all the internet drama caused by fairy lights or you want to visit any of the Christmas lights we’ve highlighted in this post get your hands on your very own Tep wifi device.
Tep’s device works in 80+ countries worldwide and gives you access to unlimited internet for a fixed daily cost of just $9.95. You’ll never have to worry about those shock data roaming bills and most importantly Tep’s device won’t be impacted by any Christmas lights! That means you can live stream the switching on of the Rockefeller Tree or even enjoy your own fresh tree without any negative impacts on your internet browsing speeds! To find out more or to rent/buy your own Tep device click here.
