Giant Christmas trees in Metro Manila to glow up your holiday photos
What's Christmas without that gorgeous towering tree?
As the holidays approach, a number of establishments have been lighting up their Christmas trees in anticipation of the cheeriest season of the year!
In case you and your family want to boost the Christmas spirit (and take note of some design choices while you're at it), here's where you can find the most dazzling Yule-trees in Manila.
Araneta City
Araneta City recently kicked off a "Christmas Like No Other" with the lighting of their iconic giant tree on Oct. 28.
For the holiday season, the City of Firsts lit its 100-ft tree in a star-studded festivity with giant Christmas tree sparkles in mostly red and gold colors to suit the carnival theme.
ICYDK, the lighting of the giant Christmas tree has been an Araneta City annual tradition since 1981. This year, the 100-ft tree is adorned with 3,000 LED bulbs, 2,000 Christmas balls, 100 hot air balloon ornaments, 1,000 pine garlands, and other Christmas ornaments that will surely wow anyone who visits.
For their Oct. 28 event, visitors were treated with appearances from celebs such as Vice Ganda, KD Estrada, Alexa Ilacad, Robi Domingo, Samantha Bernardo, and more.
The Binibining Pilipinas queens also made sure that the decorations didn't steal their sparkle from the night.
Marco Polo
If you're ever in the Ortigas area, Marco Polo Manila officially welcomed the holiday season with its annual Tree Lighting Ceremony at the hotel’s 24th-floor Sky lobby last Nov. 5.
The Forbes Travel Guide Five Star Award-winning hotel marked the long-awaited beginning of the yuletide season with the theme of "Starry Nights."
According to Marco Polo Ortigas General Manager Colin Healy, the theme symbolizes how "we want to bring back the true magic and warmth of Christmastime with the powerful strength and shining starry light of hope—even during dark times."
Shangri-la Plaza
Shangri-la Plaza lit up Mandaluyong with their ceremonial lighting of the grand hanging Christmas tree last Nov. 5.
Unlike other towering Christmas trees, the mall takes it a notch further by making its giant tree hang from the ceiling of its grand atrium, making for a wonderful sight for all mall-goers to see from every angle.
The event was attended by Mandaluyong mayor Benjamin Abalos Sr., The Voice Jed Madela, members of the Contemporary A Cappella Singers Association and the Philippine Madrigal Singers.
SM Supermalls
Of course, who could forget the country's very own local mall chain that started playing Christmas songs by September?
For this year's festivities, SM Supermalls is bringing on a brighter and cheerier Christmas for Filipinos with their 50-ft Christmas trees found in every premier SM Mall such as SM North Edsa, SM Seaside City Cebu, SM Mall of Asia, Megamall, The Podium, SM Southmall, SM Cagayan De Oro, S Maison, and SM Aura Premier
And because Christmas wouldn't be complete without Santa Clause, they are also bringing back their Santa-approved Christmas Playpark wherein kids and kids-at-heart can explore centerpieces, spaces, and other picture-worthy figurines all with the theme of Christmas.
Lifemalls
For those in the South, Lifemalls is bringing back the joy of Christmas with gorgeous giant trees in Filinvest – Festival Mall Alabang, Main Square Bacoor, Fora Mall Tagaytay, and IL Corso Cebu.
The group of malls is introducing fun and festive activities lined up this November and December for the whole family such as their Shop and Win: The 12 Gifts of Christmas Raffle Prom, Simbang Gabi Masses at the Our Lady of Lourdes Chapel in Alabang, and Santa Claus for the little kiddies!
During the lighting of the Christmas Tree in Festival Mall last Nov. 4, Filinvest Land Inc. Director Francis Gotianun promised "to keep the essence of Filipino festivals and the spirit of community alive in our malls."
"This year, let us all bring back grand celebrations together with our families and friends."
