Spectacle, festive tunes, and delicacies were enjoyed by those who attended the opening of the Christmas Village in Polis Chrysochous on Saturday. Mayor Giotis Papachristofis, in his address to the event, said that the Christmas Village is a "special" and "different initiative" included in the efforts of the Deputy Ministry of Tourism to upgrade the tourism product through specific quality marks.
He also expressed pride that this year the Municipality of Polis Chrysochous managed to be selected along with 6 other municipalities and communities nationwide for this event.
From Saturday afternoon, Polis Chrysochous was transformed into a "dreamy fairytale Christmas village" to welcome young and old, local and foreign visitors, while according to the organizers the whole effort will evolve into 52 days of celebration, with the cooperation of 49 teams and hundreds of participants.
The Christmas village includes impressive decorations, wooden houses with local products and handicrafts, a magical Children's Village, Santa Claus' house, a rich entertainment programme, guided tours to museums, experiential craft workshops, and wine and gastronomy.
Nikoletta Paphitou on behalf of the Deputy Ministry of Tourism said that the institution of the Christmas Village has travelled to more than thirty countries, while she expressed her excitement for the thousands of people who attended the opening of the events in Polis Chrysochous.
As Ms. Paphitou said, they had many applications for the Christmas Village Grant Scheme, but only the best ones were selected, including the application of the Municipality of Polis Chrysochous. On behalf of the Deputy Ministry of Tourism, Paphitou said they provided 13 wooden houses and decorations and focused on promoting the institution.
We have invested heavily to advertise this institution, to attract people in winter, winter visitors to Cyprus with many opportunities and activities, she added.
Restaurants in the wider area welcomed local and foreign visitors and offered festive culinary journeys. The magic of Christmas, according to the program, began with Santa Claus dropping anchor at the Latsio harbor, after which he and his helpers distributed gifts to children.
Santa Claus' journey to Polis Chrysochous started at 17:00 on Saturday afternoon, followed by a festive parade to the sounds of the Paphos Philharmonic Orchestra through the main streets of the town with the participation of Santa Claus accompanied by Rudolph, elves, stilt walkers, cheerleaders, schoolchildren and dance schools.
This was followed by the lighting of the Christmas tree and various surprises.
The Mayor of Polis Chrysochous said that throughout the programme of events there will be active involvement of the local community. The Christmas Village will operate until January 15, 2023.
Source: KYPE
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