Giant star with 20 points of light to illuminate Plaça Sant Jaume for Christmas
In a joint initiative by the City Council and the Government of Catalonia, the star will project its light onto the façades of both buildings, which will also share the same decorations on their balconies. In addition, the Pati de Carruatges in the City Hall will be hosting the traditional large nativity scene by the Association of Nativity Scene Builders which until now was housed in the Museu Marès. This year’s scene takes a maritime theme as its inspiration, occupying a table of 8 metres by 4 metres and a height of 70 cm. Both the star in the square, with the name “Origin”, and the nativity scene, will be installed from 29 November to 5 January.
Christmas comes to Plaça Sant Jaume this year from 29 November, with a 20-point star, each point four metres long. This imposing piece, made from iron, acrylic and LEDs, will light up the façades of the City Council and the headquarters of the Government of Catalonia on either side of the square, in a collaboration between the two institutions that aims to give harmony and balance to the Christmas decorations and will also include the same vegetal decorations on both balconies.
Created by the artist Xevi Bayona and the digital creator Àlex Posada, the star has been given the name “Origin”. The regular geometrical figure looks back to the moment the universe was created, when the big bang transformed the darkness into light and energy, symbolising harmony. The star has a diameter of nine metres and a width of 10.6 metres, weighing in at 2.5 tonnes.
The giant Christmas star will be in the square until 5 January. When night falls, an immersive audiovisual show will begin around it, with an original soundtrack that spectators can enjoy by opening a web app or using a QR code. This will allow people to use their mobiles to connect to the sound in the square through an interactive map, offering the possibility of listening to the show live using mobiles and headphones, essential for an experience of the highest quality.
Shows will be offered every day from 6.30 pm to 10 pm, with sessions every half an hour and lasting five minutes.
Nativity scene with the scent of the sea
Created by the Barcelona Association of Nativity Scene Builders, this year’s traditional nativity scene moves from the Museu Marès to the Pati de Carruatges at the City Hall. The scene brings the scent of the sea to the centre of the city, linking two great sources of inspiration: the centenary since the death of the poet Joan Salvat-Papasseit, who worked at the Moll de la Fusta wharf, evoking the maritime scene in some of his verses, and the America’s Cup, which concluded a few weeks ago. The nativity scene will be open to the public from 29 November to 5 January (closed on 25 December and 1 January), Mondays to Fridays from 11 am to 7 pm, and Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays from 11 am to 8 pm.
The scene will be installed on a table of around 8 metres by 4 metres, at a height of 70 cm, and includes iconic scenes such as the birth, the annunciation, the path of the Three Kings and a scene with Saint Francis, without overlooking traditional and world-famous figures such as the caganer pooping shepherd.
