Close to 200,000 tourists and locals flocked to the Rodrigo de Freitas Lagoon to watch the 542 ton, 85-meter-tall (279 feet) tree illuminate in a burst of color and lights.
The crowd itself lit up as a spectacular fireworks display coincided with the 19th annual tree lighting ceremony.
This year's theme was a "Christmas of Light" full of "wishes for all."
The tree is lit with 3.1 million micro light bulbs, 2,150 strobe effects, 120,000 meters (393,700 feet) of light hoses and 100 LED reflectors.
The base of the massive structure rests on 11 floats that form a 30 meter-by-30 meter (98 foot-by-98 foot) base to support the metal tree.
The annual celebration has become a mainstay for tourists who came out in droves along with thousands of locals who came to be part of the celebration.
"I loved it. It was marvellous, the show. Everything was lit up. It was perfect," Gilberto Luiz said.
"It was very exciting. It's a wonderful time of year of peace and togetherness and it's truly a celebration worth coming out to see… every year if you can," another spectator, Sueli Salles said.
The Christmas tree was first erected in 1996 and its lighting has become Rio's third biggest tourist event after Carnival festivities and New Year's Eve on Copacabana beach.
The Guinness Book of Records lists the installation as the world's largest floating Christmas tree. — Reuters
source: gmanetwork.com
