As the year draws to a close, Brazil’s iconic floating Christmas tree was inaugurated on Sunday in Rio de Janeiro’s Botafogo Cove. Although this is a relatively new tradition, it has already become one of the city’s highlights during the Christmas and New Year holidays, Euronews reported.
Positioned about 100 meters from the shore, the illuminated 80-meter floating Christmas tree is visible along a wide stretch of Botafogo Beach. Surrounded by the iconic scenery of Sugarloaf Mountain and the Christ the Redeemer statue, the glowing installation attracted large crowds at its opening, which was marked by a fireworks show.
City officials expect the floating tree to become a popular seasonal feature in one of Rio’s busiest waterfront districts.
Rio de Janeiro first surprised the world with its unique take on a city Christmas tree celebration in 1996. Although it is unclear who first proposed the idea of a floating tree, the city embraced it and selected Lagoa Rodrigo de Freitas — the inland lake that separates Ipanema from Jardim Botânico — as its location.
The tree’s height varies slightly each year. The largest floating Christmas tree, measuring 85 meters, was erected at the Rodrigo de Freitas Lagoon for Christmas 2007. At the time, the tree was sponsored by Bradesco Seguros e Previdência and illuminated with 2.8 million micro lamps and 37 kilometers of luminous hose.
Meanwhile, in late October, local police carried out one of the deadliest raids in Rio de Janeiro, killing more than 130 people.
