Christmas is taken seriously in Medellin.
For 50 years, Medellin had been enjoying a festive and extravagant Christmas tradition, El Alumbrado (literally, the lightning). It is the true spectacle of lights that National Geographic mentioned as one of the 10 best places to see the holiday Christmas lights. This year, the show is even more special since for the first time in its history, the city has invited locals to contribute to the magic.
“It’s the first time the Christmas lights [show] is created with the help of citizens. Peace was a recurring theme in the proposals of people and it became a premise when designing” said Juan Fernando Sierra, design coordinator from Empresas Públicas de Medellín (EPM), the city’s public utilities company that creates and sponsors the show.
Of course, the best way to enjoy the show is from the air. Here is the video recorded by the dron from the Colombian newspaper El Tiempo (The Time).