Madrid
The holiday lights on one of Madrid’s two main thoroughfares have Spaniards scratching their heads, El País reported this week. Instead of illuminated wreaths or angels, Recoletas Boulevard is hung with 200 lighted words that bear no obvious relation to Christmas. Austrian designer Eva Lootz’s creation includes the Spanish words for “rabbit,” “hangover,” “suitcase,” and “valve”—but not “joy” or “Noel.” “They have no particular message,” explained Lootz, “except that not everyone shares a concept of Christmas that is cloying and hypocritical.” For those looking for a simpler message, the city’s other main thoroughfare is decorated with the word “peace” in a dozen languages.
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