Half jokingly, half seriously, they say that Christmas starts in Guayaquil when the tree in a certain shopping center in the city begins to be assembled.
The assembly and subsequent lighting of the Policentro tree is one of the many Christmas traditions in the city of Buenos Aires, such as the municipal parade “Guayaquil is my destination at Christmas” or the arrival of Santa Clauses at other shopping centers. This is a tradition that has gained space in virtuality with an unofficial Twitter account and, of course, with the inevitable memes that celebrate the installation of the well-known “Poli tree”.
The 28-meter Christmas tree of the Policentro was lit with the colors of the flag in support of the Tri
As one of the first shopping malls in Guayaquil, Policentro certainly wants to be one of the first to light up its tree each Christmas season. That has been their strategy in the last 30 years, since this colorful custom began, recalls Mariella Pesantes, their Marketing Manager.
“It usually happens the first Friday after the Day of the Dead and Cuenca Independence holidays. This year we had November 11, but because the holiday was delayed. For the pandemic we also had to make a change: we turned it on on a Sunday, but in November, always in November.
Photo: The Universe
The assembly of the famous little tree takes 15 to 20 days. In the middle of the parking lot of the shopping center there is a pole that works as the main structure for the tree. Smaller structures are being welded to it that will receive the 70 panels that give shape to the tree and that are assembled from top to bottom, in a total of nine floors. All the panels are lined with foliage and are made up of lights and decorative pieces that can vary their design depending on the plans of the administration or the situation. For example, for the inauguration of the Qatar 2022 World Cup, Ecuador’s fourth participation in the international tournament, the Poli tree was illuminated with the colors of the Tri. It was lit like this until November 30, and then it took on its traditional shades of red and green. It is a piece 28 meters high with 4,000 light bulbs. This year stands out with branches and ponsettias.
With a musical show and fireworks, the Policentro Christmas tree was lit in 2021
After eleven years working in the Marketing Department of the Policentro, for Pesantes one of the most special anecdotes he has experienced in the installation of this decorative element was its first lighting, but the most emotional was the lighting in the middle of the first year of the pandemic due to COVID-19, in 2020. It is that each illumination is carried out in the middle of a ceremony with artistic presentations and more, which welcomes between 5,000 and 6,000 people and guests.
“We could not stop lighting our tree, because it is a tradition in the city of Guayaquil. In 2020, the year of the pandemic, we knew that we could not have crowds. So, we schedule between July and August, when we plan the ignition, do it as auto show, so that people go inside their vehicles and can see it like this. We had already distributed tickets for them to attend. But two days before the event there was a regrowth and all activities were suspended. So, we had a virtual ignition that we broadcast via on-linethrough our social networks.
This is how the Christmas tree was lit in Policentro in 2018
As much as the memes joke with the idea that, in effect, the Poli tree is ahead of the others, the truth is that its planning is just as early, as revealed by Pesantes. “If it is not done in August, we would not be able to have everything in due time. The elements must be designed and then sent to be elaborated. We left Father’s Day and for the same we entered the Christmas planning ”.
The little tree will be standing until Three Kings Day, January 6. From that date, its disassembly will begin, which is a little faster. One week after the indicated day, the Poli tree is kept in the warehouses of the shopping center to rest until the following festive season. (AND)
Source: Eluniverso
Paul is a talented author and journalist with a passion for entertainment and general news. He currently works as a writer at the 247 News Agency, where he has established herself as a respected voice in the industry.
