With the illumination of three Christmas trees, residents of Upper Manhattan also ignite the Christmas spirit in their community.
This is the first Christmas lighting ceremony, which is planned to be held annually.
The event was held last Friday at the corner of Dyckman Street and Broadway, in the Inwood neighborhood.
Councilman Ydanis Rodríguez commented: “As New Yorkers, as immigrants, we celebrate that we are a group of people who maintain our faith of celebration on these special days. And we dedicate it to the people we have lost.”
Some 9,000 lights adorn these three Christmas trees that come in varying heights: 16, 12 and 7 feet.
The activist Ángela Fernández points out: “It’s very nice that there is a tree in Rockefeller. It’s perfectly fine, but for here to go to Midtown; we are very far away. It is important that people can come walking, walking to be in community.”
One of the neighbors expressed his feelings: “A symbol that things are going to get better, specifically at this time that we were in a pandemic.”
The event was held by a coalition of Upper Manhattan businesses and organizations and political leaders, with the aim of raising spirits in a neighborhood hit by the coronavirus.
Isidro Medina, executive director of the Washington Heights Improvement District, said, “What we want is to bring light and hope not only for residents but also for small area businesses.”
While for Jason Compton, president of the Inwood Merchants Association: “To give something this Christmas time, for us to be together. We are celebrating something in a year that was so difficult.”
With this, they also hope to attract more buyers to businesses in the area, which amid the pandemic are struggling to survive.
This was stated by Julissa Pérez, founder of My Beauty Mark Foundation: “We have lost so many people this year and this is something to teach the community that we are united.”
The activity was also attended by the merengue star, Raúl Acosta, from the Oro Sólido orchestra: “We are almost a year after the situation with COVID and people are doing everything possible to little by little return to normality” .
These Christmas trees will remain at that site until January 8.
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