The western German city of Dortmund lit its giant Christmas tree on Monday evening, marking the start of the festive season. The structure stands 45 metres tall and is built from around 1,200 Norway spruces, which the city says makes it the largest real-tree installation of its kind.The tree, which weighs about 40 tonnes, is lit with nearly 140,000 LED lights. A four-metre illuminated angel sits at the top, shining across the city.It has been the centrepiece of Dortmund’s Christmas market since 1996 and takes around a month to assemble. Hundreds of visitors gathered to watch the lighting. Resident Jana Redeker said to ABS CBN, the tree signalled the beginning of Christmas for her, though she felt this year’s LED lights looked “a bit cold.” Her father, Wolfgang Redeker, said he enjoys the tradition as it marks the start of festive celebrations. More than 300 stalls surround the structure, and the tree performs a short light show at the top every hour.
