CHRISTMAS TREES AROUND THE WORLD

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CHRISTMAS TREES AROUND THE WORLD

Before the ball drops in Times Square

, the Big Apple turns on its

holiday charm with the Christmas tree in Rockefeller Center.

This snow-globe-worthy scene celebrates its 75th anniversary this season.

The world's largest

Christmas tree display rises up the slopes

of Monte Ingino outside of Gubbio, in Italy's Umbria region.

Composed of about 500 lights connected by 40,000 feet of wire,

the " tree " is a modern marvel for an ancient

city.

A

Christmas tree befitting Tokyo's nighttime neon display is

projected onto the exterior of the Grand Prince Hotel Akasaka.

Illuminating the Gothic facades of Prague's Old Town Square,

and casting its glow over the manger display of the famous

Christmas market, is a grand tree cut in the Sumava

mountains

in the southern Czech Republic.

Venice's Murano Island—renowned throughout the world

for its quality glasswork—is home to the tallest glass tree

in the world. Sculpted by master glass blower Simone

Cenedese, the artistic Christmas tree is a modern

reflection of the holiday season.

Moscow celebrates

Christmas according to the Russian Orthodox

calendar on Jan. 7. For weeks beforehand, the city is alive with festivities in anticipation of Father Frost's arrival on his magical

troika with the Snow Maiden. He and his helper deliver gifts unde

r the New Year tree, or yolka, which is traditionally a fir.

The largest Christmas tree in Europe (more than 230 feet tall)

can be found in the

Praça do Comércio in Lisbon, Portugal.

Thousands of lights adorn the tree, adding to the special

enchantment of the city during the holiday season.

" Oh Christmas tree, oh Christmas tree… " : Even in its humblest attire,

aglow beside a tiny chapel in Germany's Karwendel

mountains,

a Christmas tree is a wondrous sight.

Ooh la la Galeries Lafayette! In

Paris, even the Christmas trees are chic.

With its monumental, baroque dome, plus 10 stories of lights and

high fashion, it's no surprise this show-stopping department store draws

more visitors than the

Louvre and the Eiffel Tower

In addition to the Vatican's heavenly evergreen,

St. 's Square in Rome hosts

a larger-than-life nativity scene in front of the obelisk.

The

Christmas tree that greets revelers at the Puerta del Sol

is dressed for a party. Madrid's two-week celebration makes millionaires along with merrymakers. On Dec.

22, a lucky citizen

will win El Gordo (the fat one), the world's biggest lottery.

A token of gratitude for Britain's aid during

World War II,

the Christmas tree in London's Trafalgar Square has

been

the annual gift of the people of Norway since 1947.

Drink a glass of gluhwein

from the holiday market at the Romer—

furt's city hall since 1405—and enjoy a taste of Christmas past.

Against a backdrop of tall, shadowy firs, a rainbow

trio of

Christmas trees lights up the night (location unknown).

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-- " Truth is something which can't be told in a few words. Those who simplify the universe only reduce the expansion of its meaning. " ~*Anais Nin " You are never asked to do more than you are able without being given the strength and ability to do it. " ~Eileen Caddy