Barcelona Christmas lights switched on

Tis the season to be jolly, officially now!

Barcelona's Christmas lights were switched on at a ceremony attended by thousands on Passeig de Gràcia on Thursday evening. 

Mayor Jaume Collboni presided over the occasion, which also marked the boulevard's 200th anniversary. 

Some 15,000 people, according to Barcelona City Council, gathered on Passeig de Gràcia, where they were treated to a show featuring music, dance, lights and even a tightrope walker, before the main event.

Th show told the story of Sunsi, a figure inspired by the mathematician Assumpció Català, a Catalan who was the first woman in Spain to be a professional astronomer.

Another of Barcelona's most well-known boulevards, Passeig de Sant Joan, was lit up with Christmas lights for the first time this year. 

The lights will be switched on every day at specific times, continuing last year's reduction measures in order to save energy. 

From Sunday to Thursday, the city streets will be lit up from 5:30 pm to 10 pm, extending to 11 pm on Fridays and Saturdays.   

On special days like December 31 and January 5, the lights will remain on until 1 am.