The San Bartolomé City Council officially welcomed Christmas this Friday, November 28, with an event marked by emotion, music, and a fully festive atmosphere. Hundreds of people gathered to share a moment that is experienced with special enthusiasm in the municipality each year.
At 7:00 PM, all the town's decorations were lit up simultaneously, thus kicking off a Christmas program that, throughout December and January, will offer an endless array of leisure activities to enjoy during these holidays.
The day began with the family show "The Magic That Illuminates," which filled the square with color and fantasy, followed by the performance of the group Altahay de la Guardia, whose festive repertoire accompanied the awaited moment of the Christmas lighting.
The mayor of San Bartolomé, Isidro Pérez, was in charge of welcoming Christmas by inviting people to "look around us with more warmth and hope, as children do." He also recalled that "the lights also remind us of those who accompany us and of the people who are no longer with us but continue to illuminate our daily lives."
One of the most emotional moments of the event was the presentation of the Star of Illusion 2025, represented this year by Ainara Soto, a symbol of the light and hope that the municipality wishes to project during these times.
The Councilor for Festivals, Estefanía Luzardo, highlighted that "the lighting has been prepared to offer families a unique and shared moment," and added that "seeing the square full and feeling how the Christmas spirit unites the neighborhood is one of the greatest incentives to continue strengthening the festive programming."
This lighting also marks the premiere of the special lighting display installed this year with new decorative motifs on facades, lampposts, and emblematic areas, as well as LED strips and large-format elements—including two 14-meter Pixel Max trees, located in San Bartolomé and Playa Honda—that give Christmas a greater presence in both areas. The ambiance is completed by the placement of more than a thousand poinsettias in different public spaces, reinforcing the festive aspect that accompanies these dates.
This event coincided with a new edition of San Bartolomé Weekend Shopping, which added commercial dynamism, color, and a Christmas atmosphere to the town's streets, consolidating this date as one of the most outstanding on the local calendar.