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Celebrating Christmas in the city is incomplete without a trip to Cortylandia, says Expatica blogger Kristen Bernardi.Even though temperatures in Madrid hovered close to 15 degree Celsius this week and the autumn sun is still shining, the Christmas season is here, expats.
How do I know this? Is it the shops stocked to the rafters with toys? The omni-present advertisements for El Gordo?
No, no.
Cortylandia is on.
For the unacquainted, Cortylandia is a giant, festive Crimbo display plastered on the side of several outlets of El Corte Inglés department store. It’s different every year, but each display features animatronic characters, blinking lights and approximately 9,000 kilograms of glitter. It’s a blend of childhood whimsy and Las Vegas tacky that can only be described as horrendously awesome.
But it gets better – there’s a song!
“Cortylandia, Cortylandia
Vamos todos a cantar
Alegría en estas fechas
Porque ya es Navidad”
Cortylandia in 2007.
Every year since 1979, madrileños young and old have lined the streets, craning their necks for 15 minutes each hour to see the Cortylandia show – music, blinking lights and 18-foot-tall elves and snowmen spreading Christmas cheer. Memorable Cortylandia displays include a giant sparkly version of the ubiquitous Don Quixote (1989) and a 15-ton King Kong (2005).
The spectacle is free, and it’s nice to see that El Corte Inglés is tossing some of its bankroll back to the public this time of year, before we all fork over our salaries at the rebajas come January.
The writer, Kristen Bernardi, is a blogger with Expatica Spain and contributes to a fortnightly blog on alternate Fridays. The photos above are also taken by her.
Check out the nearest Cortylandia: c/Preciados, Sanchinarro, Arroyomolinos and Alcalá de Henares
28 November 2008
Expatica
How does it feel like to celebrate Christmas in Spain?
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Inviting your best Spanish Christmas pictures / videos
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Expatica's Getting Started section will provide practical information on how you can open a bank account, exchange your driving licence, improve your Spanish, and more.
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