Christmas celebrations in Athens open on low budget amidst debt crisis

Christmas celebrations in Athens open on low budget amidst debt crisis
City of Athens Mayor Yiorgos Kaminis opened on Friday the municipality's Christmas and New Year Eve's holidays festivities.

The one-month festivals across the Greek capital run on a low budget this year due to the acute debt crisis that has hit Greece, but plenty of optimism for the future.

There is no big, fancy main Christmas tree set at Syntagma square opposite to the Greek parliament this time. But pupils and artists have decorated the dozens of natural trees across the square with 1,500 tins they painted at school, promoting the ideas of recycling and participation.

The total cost of this year's celebrations in Athens that run to early January is expected to reach 200,000 euros (267,480 U.S. dollars). It is just one tenth of last year's expenses, as the country struggles to avert financial meltdown.

In the past the city would spend some 200,000 euros only for the central Christmas tree as in 2008.

On Friday evening the Syntagma square which over the past two years was frequently packed with anti-austerity protesters, was different. Children danced, as the City's Philharmonic Band played Christmas songs in front of the lit-up natural trees.

Addressing the crowd, Kaminis called on Athenians and foreign visitors to join the celebrations and send the world a message of "participation, solidarity and optimism." This is the central theme of this year's events under the title "Athens Celebrates."

"We were not interested in the tallest Christmas tree in Europe this year or bright parties. We wanted a celebration that sends the message that we all have a right to a better future, that our society shows solidarity with people who suffer most from the crisis," he said, before giving the floor to the City's Big Band that performed jazz melodies.

Not everybody was in a mood to celebrate at Syntagma square initially amidst heavy recession, high unemployment and dramatically reduced incomes, but the music and children's laughter changed many passers-by' feelings.

"Personally I find the mood to celebrate, because I have strength and faith, but for many people this year it will be the worst Christmas after the Second World War. For our souls and our minds we need hope and faith, because this is the meaning of Christmas, love," Anna Anastasiou, a Greek public school teacher told Xinhua, before joining the festivities.

Editor: Mo Hong'e

English.news.cn   2011-12-10 09:37:38              
ATHENS, Dec. 9 (Xinhua)