The Christmas tree in Taxiarchis traditionally opened the holiday season in Greece. A luxurious 13-meter-tall spruce sparkled with 20,000 lights in a square in a picturesque village, gathering hundreds of people around it.
Traditionally, Taxiarchis is the first to light his Christmas tree in the central square of the village. This region is famous for the production of fir trees, which are then sent to all corners of the country. Yiannis Lelegiannis, Deputy Mayor for Culture, Sports and Tourism of the Municipality of Polygyros, says:
“This is a small village where about 500-600 people permanently live, and everyone is engaged in the production of Christmas trees. For the lighting of the Christmas tree, we organized excursions and gathered dozens of visitors. It’s typical that so many people are added, it’s like another village.”
Georgios Emmanouil, the mayor of Polygyrou, was at that time in Rhodes, at the ΚΕΔΕ conference. Right from there, he signaled the start of the countdown to the lighting of the tree.
Watching the event online, he said, quotes CNN Greece:
“Today’s celebration, which takes place every year on this day in Taxiarchis, was created based on the philosophy of highlighting the fir production in this blessed place and promoting it as an important product of the region. So I want to reassure you that we are committed to supporting the industry in every way we can. I wish that the Taxiarchis Christmas tree will become a beacon that will illuminate everyone’s life and fill our hearts with love and optimism. Happy holiday to everyone for whom health comes first.”
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