Festive displays light up Europe despite crisis

(26 Nov 2022)
RESTRICTION SUMMARY:
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Vigo, Spain - 19 November 2022
1. Countdown to Christmas lights being turned on in Vigo; pull-out to show celebration
HEADLINE: Festive displays light up Europe despite crisis
2. Christmas lights and snow
3. People walking on decorated street with carousel seen in distance
ANNOTATION: Festive light displays that mark the holiday season are being lit around Europe, despite the energy crisis created by Russia's war in Ukraine.
4. Carousel
5. Decorated street
6. Close-up of people celebrating
7. Wide of decorated street
ANNOTATION: With Christmas markets and other holiday events serving as big tourism drivers, especially after two years of pandemic-related cancellations, lit-up decor is providing joy to people who may be forced to cut costs at home.
8. Tilt-down of illuminated tree
ANNOTATION: There was controversy over the Christmas lights in Vigo in northwestern Spain, which has a government plan to reduce illumination in cities.
10. People posing for photos below tree
11. Wide of decorated street
ANNOTATION: The mayor defends the plan by using low-consumption lights and turning the popular Christmas displays off one hour earlier compared to previous years.
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Berlin, Germany - 22 November 2022
12. Pull focus to show lights on trees
13. Close-up of snowman made of lights
14. Wide of snowman made of lights
15. Close-up of Christmas ornament reflecting snowman
ANNOTATION: Energy-efficient LED bulbs were also switched on on Kurfuerstendamm, Berlin's most popular shopping street.
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Vienna, Austria - 19 November 2022
16. Vienna mayor Michael Ludwig, left, switching on lights; tilt-up to show illuminated Christmas tree
17. Pull focus of lights on tree
18. City Hall tower (background) and tree with heart-shaped lights (foreground)
ANNOTATION: As the energy crisis continues, cities are trying to strike a balance between conserving energy and celebrating the holidays.
19. People walking under tree with heart-shaped lights
20. Heart-shaped lights
21. SOUNDBITE (German) Michael Ludwig, Vienna Mayor: ++STARTS ON SHOT 19++
"I was asked if we could afford – being in such a difficult time with all the worries about energy we're having – if we could even justify to have a Christmas market and an illuminated tree. I say: yes, because especially in dark times people need light in the truest sense of the word, both physically but also light in ourselves."
22. Vienna Christmas market entrance
23. Close-up of glass ornament
24. Girl talking picture of decorated glass ornaments
25. Close-up of nativity scene
ANNOTATION: Vienna's famous Christmas market aimed to be more sustainable this year, reducing the number of stalls from 154 to 100.
26. Girl looking at carved figurines
27. Sign reading (German): "Vienna Christmas Market"
ANNOTATION: Despite the slimmed down version, the market still attracts visitors from around the world.
28. SOUNDBITE (English) Andrew Gower, tourist from the UK:
"I think the Vienna Christmas market is just incredible. We've come here to see the real thing and it's just blown us away. It's tremendous."
29. Crowd with stalls and tree in background
STORYLINE:
Festive light displays that mark the holiday season are being lit around Europe, despite the energy crisis created by Russia's war in Ukraine.
With Christmas markets and other holiday events serving as big tourism drivers, especially after two years of pandemic-related cancellations, lit-up decor is providing joy to people who may be forced to cut costs at home.
Clients are reminded:

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