A fairytale house, a giant clock dial and a birthday cake with 700 candles – these are some of the inventive designs of the Christmas tree of Vilnius over the last decade.
Take a look at the main Christmas decoration on Cathedral Square since 2013.
In 2013, the tree brought people back to childhood, with decorations in the shape of hobbyhorses and toys.
In 2014, the tree shone in much colder hues.
The 2015, the Christmas tree took on the shape of a fairytale house – one could peek inside through windows or even enter and listen to recordings of Lithuanian fairytales.
In 2016, the tree was covered in a cone of garlands that extended above the entire Christmas village.
A similar design was used in 2017, only this time its 70,000 lights shone in purple hues.
In 2018, the Christmas tree in Vilnius was decorated with shining snowflakes and cogwheels. Seen from above, it formed part of a giant clock dial.
The tree of 2019 was a giant queen surrounded by a court of chess pieces.
In 2020, the Christmas tree took on futuristic shapes, resembling a deconstructed cone. A more traditional spruce was hidden inside. This was the year of the pandemic, so most people watched the lighting ceremony on TV.
The 2021 tree was frosty white, decorated with giant snowflake patterns reflected in mirrors.
In 2022, Vilnius went Baroque, with a structure suggesting a three-tiered cake with 700 candles. The city was preparing to celebrate its 700th anniversary the following year.
The 2023 Christmas tree is an actual spruce brought to the Cathedral Square for the first time since 2009. Sixteen-metre tall, it is decorated with 200,000 LED lights.
