*To read about this year's Christmas lights in Madrid, click here!
Every morning here in Madrid we see city council personnel suspended high in the sky on long ladders putting in place the Christmas lights which illuminate the streets of Spain every year during the festive season. It´s Madrid´s way of letting us know that Christmas is coming and that soon the Christmas nativity sets will line the streets of Spain, as well as snow men, stars, Christmas trees, presents and of course, Spanish Christmas carols.
Every morning here in Madrid we see city council personnel suspended high in the sky on long ladders putting in place the Christmas lights which illuminate the streets of Spain every year during the festive season. It´s Madrid´s way of letting us know that Christmas is coming and that soon the Christmas nativity sets will line the streets of Spain, as well as snow men, stars, Christmas trees, presents and of course, Spanish Christmas carols.
This is your chance to kickback and relax from your Christmas Spanish Course and enjoy this great event which kicks off tomorrow throughout Madrid on the 25th November. 3.8 million LED lights, each with enough voltage for 230 hours of light, are going to be plugged in and turned up to 11! To avoid wasting electricity the lights of Madrid will be turned on at 6 pm and turned-off at 10 from Monday to Wednesday and 12am from Thursday to Sunday. Between the 25th December and the 6th of January the schedule will be increased to 11 at night each day and on days of special significance for Spain, like the 24th December and the 5th January when we will be able to enjoy them from 6pm until 3 in the morning. Lastly on the 31st December in Madrid the lights will stay on until 6 the following morning.
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| Enchanting Christmas lights in Madrid |
There can be no doubt that this will encourage Spanish people to go out and enjoy the Christmas atmosphere, strolling through the streets of Madrid and visiting squares and small Christmas markets... and inevitably buying something! For those that fall victim easily to Christmas shopping fever, Madrid is no exception. Even if it´s just to get a glimpse of the Spanish Christmas spirit, these are a few markets in Madrid you should check out.
In the Plaza de Callao (Metro: Callao). It´s doors are already open and will be until the 15th January. It is open every day from 3pm until 10pm at night.
Those on the Plaza del Carmen (Metro: Gran Vía), Santo Domingo (Metro: Santo Domingo) and Santa María Soledad Torres Acosta (Metro: go north from Santo Domingo), open from the 26th November until the 9th January from 10am until 10pm every day.
Those on the Plaza de Santa Cruz (Metro: Sol) also known as the Plaza de la Provincia and that on the Plaza Mayor (Metro Sol) will be open from the 1st December until the 31st December. From Monday to Thursday their opening times will be 10 until 10 and the rest of the week from 10 until 11.
The Spanish market in the Plaza de Chueca (Metro: Chueca) will open on the 10th December from 10 until 10 every day until the 10th January.
On the Plaza de España (Metro: Plaza de España) which welcomes the Feria de Mercado Artesanía de la CAM, will open on the 17th December until the 6th January from 10 until 10 (except on the 24th and 31st December when it shuts at 3pm).
From the 22nd of December until the 6th January you will also find a market in the Plaza de Santa Ana (Metro: Anton Martín) which is open from 10 until 10.
Enjoy the Christmas spirit and spread the happiness of the season whilst making great progress on your Christmas Spanish Course in Madrid.
Feliz Navidad and Happy New Year 2012 to everybody in Madrid!