The idea that Christmas is a time of peace and love is now a thing of the past. At least if we talk about local governments and the increasingly competitive, controversial and expensive (especially expensive) world of Christmas lighting. While cities like Vigo or Madrid have long been fighting to see who can best decorate their streets during the holidays or put up the largest LED tree in the country (if not in Europe), there is a new contestant in the “Christmas League”.

Cadiz City Council decided to allocate €3.1 million (plus VAT) on “exceptional lighting” over two years. The concept is broad and covers both Christmas and Carnival lights and various local festivities, but it gives an idea of ​​the dedication to street decoration in a municipality of 111,800 people. There are already those who claim that, at least among the country’s major cities, neighbors spend the most on Christmas lights, even more than Vigo.

“The city needs it”. This statement belongs to the mayor of Cadiz, Bruno García (PP), who promised a year ago – just a few months after receiving the flag – that in 2024 and 2025 the municipality would organize festive illumination “in accordance with the wishes of the city”. “It’s not just about aesthetics, it’s also about employment, excitement, business activity and families on the streets,” he reasoned. Over time, this commitment was confirmed by an item of around 3.81 million euros plus taxes. This included “extraordinary lighting It is the contracted amount for the rental, installation, disassembly and maintenance of the service.

Large is preferred. The contract is for a two-year period and includes both Christmas and Three Kings holiday decorations, as well as Carnival, All Saints and Our Lady of the Palm decorations under the “extraordinary lighting” label. The winning bidder was Córdoba firm Iluminaciones Ximenez, an old acquaintance in the industry and a lighting enthusiast. After all, it has provided or is responsible for providing the same service in other cities that stand out with their commitment to decoration, such as Madrid, Barcelona, ​​Malaga or Vigo, with which it has signed a multi-year agreement with the municipal council. contracts for millionaire amounts.

How much does it cost per neighbor? That’s what you’re trying to find. CountryHe pulled out his calculator to estimate how much investment in Christmas lights is per Cádiz citizen. Despite appearances, the operation is not simple because the contract includes the decoration of Christmas and Nativity, as well as other holidays, but it serves as a clue. Considering that it is an approximate figure, the calculation is made as follows: According to the Contract Platform, the contract price is 3,813,172 euros for two years, bringing the year to 1.9 million. If this amount is shared among the 111,811 registered residents, it will result in a cost of 17 euros per resident of Cadiz.

Barbarism or unreality? “It’s barbaric, it’s also old and tacky,” denounces Adelante Cádiz’s David de la Cruz. CountryThis reminds us that previous lighting specifications envisaged a much lower investment (only four euros per neighbour). The local government, led by García, argues that these 17 euros per neighbor are an “unrealistic” figure and that the real investment, “strictly dedicated to Christmas”, has been reduced to no more than 900,000 euros. He also claims that this year will be more expensive than others, as making adaptations requires facing “an initial investment that will not be required in future specifications.”

Noel is at the top of the TOP. If 17 euros per person is used as a reference, there is no doubt that Cadiz will be one of the cities that spends the most on Christmas lighting in Spain. At least if investment per capita, capitals and large cities are taken into account. Country It puts him at the top of the rankings and he will replace another heavyweight in the Christmas fight: Vigo. The Galician city signed a contract with Ximenez worth approximately 9.4 million euros, including taxes, for campaigns between 2023-2024 and 2026-2027. In his case, the focus is on Christmas lights.

If the total amount of the prize is divided between the four Christmases stipulated in the contract, an annual expense of approximately 2.36 million euros results, although the actual distribution may differ slightly. The average is higher than in Cádiz, but if this amount is distributed among the 293,652 people recorded by INE in Vigo, the “bill” per person remains at around eight euros. Even less if we take into account the census prepared by the Vigo City Council itself, which puts the population at over 300,000. In this case the figure is much further from the 17 euros in Cádiz.

Christmas War. Numbers aside, if Cádiz’s investment in street decorations shows anything, it’s that the “Christmas war” between Spanish cities is still active. And it’s controversial. In fact, it has already begun to be deployed in cities such as Cádiz or Vigo, where workers start working in July and the thermometer is above 30 degrees. These aren’t the only cities where Christmas is talked about before Hispanidad or Halloween celebrations.

In Seville they have already announced new features for this year, in Malaga they have done the same with a festival to accompany the lighting, Barcelona released its program today and Madrid recently approved a contract for the lighting of the 2024-2025 festivities. . Amount: 4.4 million euros. Their other great data: distribution of almost 12 million LED bulbs.

“It will touch Mars”. These are not all numbers and announcements. If there is one thing that has characterized the Christmas dispute in recent years, in addition to the competition over XXL trees and who will put the most LED lights on the streets, it is the difficult conversation between councilors and the “pikes”, held in a more or less relaxed tone. . For now, Caballero has warned that competing with Vigo is “not a good idea” and this Monday he jokingly boasted of a Christmas tree that would “touch Mars”. “He will come before Elon Musk.”

If there is one thing that has become clear over the last few years, it is that Christmas is also an attractive business that can attract significant numbers of tourists. It’s not always easy to combine this, and the growth in cities, with the daily lives of residents living near major attractions that complement lights like XXL Ferris wheels or speakers broadcasting Christmas carols.

Pictures | Mitchell Orr (Unsplash) and Concello de Vigo

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