Magic Christmas attracted more than 500 thousand guests to Vilnius

The organisers of the greatest winter festival “Christmas in Vilnius 2018“ are glad about the success: during the five weeks, more than 500 thousand guests visited Vilnius, over 200 thousand spectators saw the 3D Christmas tale, Christmas train made almost 10 thousand passengers happy, the pleasures of Christmas skating-rink were enjoyed by over 8 thousand skaters, thousands of people came to admire the fountain in Lukiškės square which turned into the wintry installation, and the New Year near the cathedral’s bell tower of Vilnius, decorated with a unique 3D view installation, was joyfully met by about 35 thousand of the citizens of Vilnius and the guests of the city. Stunning this year’s Christmas tree “Time“ of the capital was again appraised as one of the most beautiful Christmas trees in the world, and Vilnius was mentioned among 25 most beautiful Christmas cities.

“This year, we managed to realize brave and creative ideas, to create new involving traditions which cheered and surprised during the holiday period, and were positively appreciated by the citizens of Vilnius and the guests of the capital. We are grateful to the partners and sponsors of “Christmas in Vilnius 2018“ for collaboration, newly implicated initiatives, jointly created special moments and enchanting Christmas miracles. It is pleasant that every year, more and more citizens of Vilnius and business representatives get involved in the decoration of the city, create a cosy and joyful mood in the city. Therefore Christmas atmosphere of Vilnius and festive events of “Christmas in Vilnius“ in recent years attract and fascinated the guests arriving here and make it more visible in the world. We shall continue this tradition next year as well“ – says the project manager of “Christmas in Vilnius“, the director of Vilnius Culture Centre, Paulius Jurgutis.

An impressive Christmas tree, surprising with its daring and original images in the Cathedral square anew every year, became the main symbol of Christmas in the capital. Unique artistic composition “Time“, being 27 metres high, 50 metres wide and covering the whole Christmas town, was widely praised by the mass media of the world and reigned in the tops of the prettiest Christmas decorations.

One of the most popular travel portals of the USA “New York Post“, which is read by almost 80 million of people, declared Vilnius as one of 9 most magical Christmas cities in Europe. Christmas tree “Time“ was praised by the American news portal “USA Today“ with the reader audience of 135 million a month, travel portals “Matador Network“ and “Fodor‘s Travel“, Belgian news portal “Brussels Express“, one of the greatest Italian news portal “Corriere della Serra“, having a monthly audience of 78 million, and the Polish news portal “Wirtualna Polska“.

Christmas towns in Cathedral and Town hall squares attracted with their festive mood and offered many selected goods, and this year, attained exceptional attention of the visitors from abroad and the whole Lithuania.

During the Christmas holiday of this year, in the heart of Vilnius, the cheerful Christmas train covered over 1900 happy kilometres, performed 380 festive trips and made almost 10 thousand passengers, with 1400 children from socially supported families among them, happy.

“Eurovaistinė Christmas Run“, having one of the longest traditions in Lithuania, this year, attained a record number – more than 3500 Santa Clauses, Snow Whites, dwarfs and other participants.

Festival “Hello, Father Christmas!“, intended for the whole family, gathered the red-cheeked Father Christmases with their retinue from all five districts of Lithuania in the Cathedral square in Vilnius. About 2 thousand children and their parents enjoyed themselves in a cheerful festival and used the services of Father Christmas’s post.

Three years in a row, more than 100 most perspective designers from Lithuania and invited authors from neighbour countries presented the newest trends of fashion and style in a stylish festive fair clamouring in Vincas Kudirka square – public garden of Christmas design. Their exceptional works were looked around by about 15 thousand guests of the fair.

Colourful Christmas 3D tale, without which Christmas cannot be imagined in the capital, this year, was viewed by more than 200 thousand citizens of Vilnius and guests of the city. Originally told “Story of the birth of Jesus“ was shown 20 times. A unique spectacle, which lasted 15 min., enchanted the big and the small ones.

One of the symbols of Vilnius – the bell tower – became a new tradition and an especial place of the New Year meeting which in the Year’s Eve, greeted the citizens of Vilnius and the guests of the capital, who gathered in the Cathedral square and its approaches, with a new spectacle – a unique 3D view projection installation. About 35 thousand people admired the colourful transformations of as if reviving, enlightened building of the bell tower, and danced and cheerfully met the New Year of 2019. Both impressive Christmas tree “Time“ of Vilnius and a unique new year’s 3D view installation on the cathedral’s bell tower of Vilnius received especially great interest of the users of social networks: the users from the United Kingdom, Poland, Italy and other countries shared the photos and praised the beauty of these original and artistic spectacles.

During the theatrical procession in the streets of the Old town of Vilnius on the 6^th of January, the end of the events of “Christmas in Vilnius 2018“ and winter holidays was declared by Three Kings. And during the last day of the events of “Christmas in the capital city“ on the 7^th of January, multinational Vilnius once again celebrated the miracle of Christmas – plentiful community of orthodox believers of Vilnius cheerfully celebrated their Christmas near the Christmas tree in Cathedral square.

The fountain of Lukiškės square, which turned into Christmas skating-rink and impressive installation of water, light and glass, has not yet bid farewell till other Christmas. Such entertainment shall cheer the citizens of Vilnius and the guests of the city till spring.