Spanish town celebrates Christmas differently with a huge crocheted tree

In every corner of Andalucía, Christmas is the time of year when many curious initiatives, a little quirkiness and a sprinkling of originality suddenly appear. Each of the region's towns and villages celebrates this festive season in their own way, which undoubtedly gives each of them their own appeal. Travelling around Andalucía at Christmas time means coming across numerous one-off sights, eccentricities and special moments.

Throughout the month of December it is really nice to see how it is the people, the locals, who often contribute their hard work and skills, their time and their dedication to beautify the places in which they live. Individuals and community groups who do not wait for the governing bodies to give them everything on a plate, taking the initiative and making their community, village or town, a beautiful place to enjoy a short trip or excursion.

This is the case with the wonderful idea for a Christmas tree with a difference that has become a reality in a coastal corner of Cadiz province, namely in La Línea de la Concepción, Gibraltar's Spanish neighbour. The project involves the creation of a large tree, nine metres high to be precise, made exclusively with crochet pieces.

The tree comes with its own name, the rather suggestive name of 'Tree of Wishes' and it has already become a fundamental element in the understanding of Christmas in La Línea, which is why the local population have become so fond of it. It is located in the Saccone gardens and this year it has no fewer than 4,000 wool pieces that have been crocheted by hand by both local women and women from all over Spain.

The work is divided into four segments and has been elaborated, as in previous years, by the Asociación de Crocheteras Linenses , which takes on this project as an enjoyment and a challenge in equal parts. During practically the whole year the different pieces have been made and then, over the course of three months, they have been attached to the metal tree frame. The final part of the work involved assembling the different parts of the decorated tree on site ready to go on display.

Mercedes Atanet is the councillor responsible for festivals and major cultural events at La Línea de la Concepción town hall. She is also a member of this crochet association that provides the town with an attractive Christmas feature that sets it apart from other town centre decorations. She expressed her thanks for "the involvement of the women who have contributed to this beautiful work that grows every year, not only in size, but also in inventiveness and details."

A closer look at this curious work reveals the degree of perfection achieved at the hands of these women, who use all kinds of decorative motifs to give life to this tree, which is practically one of a kind thanks to its large dimensions. Thus, the decorative elements range from the classic stars , to bells, and Christmas bows and even to a children's character that has become very popular in recent times: the Grinch, a modern-day Scrooge, who is considered to be the antithesis of Christmas.

The initiative has the support and collaboration from La Línea de la Concepción town council and the giant tree joins the rest of the attractions that are on display for Christmas and Three Kings. La Línea is a first class tourist destination during the summer as it offers a wide range of tourist options for sun, sand and beach but, thanks to initiatives such as this tree, which is also completely sustainable and environmentally friendly, it has also become a great place in Andalucía for a brief visit over the Christmas holidays.