Tag Archives: december 25th

Merry Christmas From Penguin Car Hire – Christmas Trees

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It’s Christmas Day! And the turkey is ready and roasting in the oven, the children are busy playing with their stocking gifts and mum and dad are desperately trying to clean up the shredded wrapping paper lying all around. Maybe you are stuck in traffic, driving a hired car over to relatives to spend the day with them. Or perhaps you’re just starting off your day with a lazy breakfast of bubble and squeak from the meal the night before. Whatever festivities you and your family are enjoying on Christmas day, we have a very Christmas themed blog for you on this day to keep up with the Christmas Spirit!

Here is a short list of some of the most amazing documented Christmas trees from across the world, all in one place. Enjoy!

Largest Floating Christmas Tree

The Christmas Tree in Rio de Janeiro is an 85 metre metal cone that weighs a staggering 542 tonnes, and floats atop the Lagoa Rodrigo de Freitas. It is decorated with a staggering 3.3 million Christmas lights, and Christmas doesn’t start in Rio until the Christmas Tree has been properly erected and lit up.

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World’s Biggest (to date) Christmas Tree

Lies in Gubbio, Italy. It is not a traditional ‘tree’ but is instead a tree decoration display situated on Mount Ingino, located above Gubbio. The ‘tree’ is 650 metres high and 350 metres wide, and can be seen from miles away. The shooting star at the tip of the ‘tree’ is made from over 25 lights and covers over 1,000 square metres.  The tradition of this hillside ‘tree’ has been going on for over 30 years, but this year the ‘tree’ has been the town’s biggest undertaking yet.

 

World’s Strangest Christmas Tree

There have been several competitors for this top spot, but the upside down Christmas tree is certainly worthy of the top spot, because it has all the aspects of a traditional tree, just turned on its head. The upside down Christmas tree is a great addition to any home, because it is also a space saving tree! 

upside-down-christmas-trees

And one more, for those who really love sparing no expense at Christmas time…

World’s Most Expensive Christmas Tree

Located in the Emirates Palace in Abu Dhabi, this tree has been decorated with over 180 items of jewellery and precious gemstones, and has been valued at 41,329,531 AED, which is approximately £6,975,880. The tree alone is worth over £6,000 but the majority of its wealth is accumulated through its furnishings.

Visit the Barcelona Christmas Market

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Christmas is so close we can almost hear those sleigh bells ringing. The leading retailers have been fighting for the most heart-warming advertisements on the telly and all the old, cheesy and adorable Christmas films are showing every evening. So what else can we expect in the lead up to Christmas?

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Why not take a trip to Fira de Santa Llúcia in Barcelona, one of the most renowned Christmas markets? Normally active between 25th November and the 23rd December, this prestigious Christmas fair has been running for over 200 years, first established in 1786!

It is situated in Avinguda de la Catedral and is home to more than 300 stalls selling a variety of merchandise and foods both traditional and contemporary. The Avinguda de la Catedral is located near the city centre and takes around 25 minutes by hired car to get to from Barcelona Airport, or only 5-10 minutes from any hotel located in the city centre.

Fira de Santa Llúcia also hosts a variety of parades, contests, exhibitions and traditional dancing and more, so for a real traditional experience with a modern day twist, there will be something there for the whole family. There is even a Nativity Scene production on at various evenings throughout the holiday season starting at 19:00 that runs for an hour and a half.

The fair’s named is derived from Saint Llúcia or the Saint Lucy, and so the best day to visit the fair is on the 13th December; the Day of Saint Lucy, where a variety of colourful performances will be on show, plus the reading of traditional Christmas stories.

log pinata fira de santa lluciaOne of the most popular stalls the Fira has to offer is the Caga Tió what looks like a giant humanoid log, complete with smiley face, hat and Christmas blanket. The tradition is that children will ‘feed’ a smaller version of the Caga Tió that they have at home with sweets, and then attack it with sticks on Christmas day until it bursts, showering them with candies and gifts. It’s sort of like a mix between a Pinata and a Stocking.

With four huge sections to explore; Simbombes, Greenery and Plants, Crafts and Nativity and Figurines, and with a wealth of traditional and cultural performances showing, a trip to the Fira de Santa Llúcia is not to be missed.