Palma de Mallorca, christmas lights switch on
The city of Palma looks cheerful and familiar every year during the Christmas season thanks to its streets which, when the sun goes down, light up, inviting the locals to go out at the most eagerly awaited time of the year, both for children and adults, and enjoy the Christmas spirit that pervades the centre as it is decorated, as it is every year, with lights placed around the trunks of each of the trees that make up the Paseo del Borne and large balls of lights. Many streets and avenues are decorated, such as the Plaza del Rey Juan Carlos I, covered with a marquee of Christmas lights, or Calle San Miguel, with lights in the shape of a star.
The Plaza de España is also decorated, not only with lights, but also with stalls selling sweets, such as churros, chocolate, sweets, cakes and biscuits, as well as bracelets, necklaces, key rings, jewellery, clothes and toys, which attract more and more people and turn the square into a very lively and bustling place.
It has become a tradition for the people of Palma to go with family or friends to see the lights while they visit the street markets, visit the nativity scenes or enjoy some chocolates with churros. Although children are not the only ones who are surprised and amazed by the way Palma shines during the nights of the festivities, the older ones are too. Grandparents come with their grandchildren to contemplate the city and take photos of themselves next to the 10-metre high Christmas tree full of lights on Paseo Sagrera, next to the statue of Ramón Llull.
This year, the lighting of the lights will take place on 19 November in the Plaza de la Reina at eight o'clock in the evening and will be accompanied by a light show that will leave no one indifferent.
In almost all cities the lights are switched on a month earlier as this encourages people to walk through the main streets of the cities and in this way helps to bring forward Christmas shopping much earlier and helps small businesses that are located in all the central streets to have more opportunity for sales and visits than the large shopping centres.
In the city of Palma, many residents and tourists take advantage of this month when the lights are switched on to get to know the city centre, such as the cathedral and its surroundings. Another exceptional way is to use the city sightseeing bus to take a tour and thus be able to photograph these spectacularly illuminated streets with Christmas decorations and feel the excitement of these special dates approaching for the family.
