The Rio de Janeiro’s Christmas tree is a little special—it floats.
On Saturday, Dec.1, thousands of tourists and locals gathered at the Rodrigo de Freitas Lagoon in Brazil to be part of the celebration that marked the start of the holiday season.
The 70-meter (229-foot) high and 407-ton tree was lit against the night sky embellished with a fireworks display lasting seven minutes.
“It was spectacular, it surprised me more than the other times. Congratulations,” said Igor Pereira, a local.
Despite this being an annual celebration, this was the first tree lit in the past three years due to the troubled economy.
“I think it was marvelous, a joy for all people from Rio de Janeiro. Even for those from abroad, it’s our trademark and it hadn’t been here for three years. I think it’s a time of joy for all the world. I think this is what Christmas is about, to bring people together, for the whole world to be happier,” says Cristiana Miranda, another local.
The Christmas tree lighting began in 1996 and has become one of Rio’s largest tourist events.
The 2007 Rio de Janeiro’s Christmas tree holds the Guinness World Record for the largest floating Christmas tree.
