PLAZA Madeira will celebrate its first Christmas under the theme of solidarity and sustainability. The most anticipated moment for the little ones is at 16:00 on the 1st of December when Father Christmas arrives at the shopping centre.
It is in a magical and joyful environment that Father Christmas will make his arrival, with entertainment planned from 3:45 pm. There will be no shortage of Gui – the mascot of Multi Portugal (Managers of the shopping centre), Duendes, Pinguim, jugglers, puppets, and a musical band will join the party of the year most awaited by children, where there will be no shortage of popcorn.
The little ones are invited to accompany the arrival of Father Christmas, who will lead a lively parade, with many surprises.
In keeping with tradition, Father Christmas’s gift to all those who visit him is a copy of the ‘Book of Gui.’ Entitled ‘Gui and the Happiness Board’, this year’s edition teaches children the importance of living ‘real’ experiences and leaving aside the digital world to enjoy the wonders of make-believe by playing with other children outside.
As the Christmas season is so linked to the spirit of community and solidarity, PLAZA Madeira reinforces its commitment to social responsibility and proximity to the local community this season. In this sense, the Christmas programme includes several activities developed in conjunction with institutions in the region.
The shopping centre will also host the ‘Recyclable Angels Contest’ – an initiative of the Câmara Pestana Health House, which began 10 years ago and aims to encourage creativity and conviviality between the various solidarity institutions in the region – and the ‘Eco Style Parade’, which will also have the participation of users of the CACI of Funchal. Finally, PLAZA Madeira will also host the exhibition “This Christmas we are going to give a gift to the Ocean,” to be promoted by Escola Azul, a project developed by the Regional Directorate of Fisheries.
“This is PLAZA Madeira’s 1st Christmas and we want to celebrate it in a differentiating way with our visitors. The Christmas programme reflects the strong connection and sense of commitment we have with the people of Madeira. The development of social responsibility initiatives is a concern that we have throughout the year, and when the festive season arrives, we want to take a new step and materialise this commitment by associating with initiatives and institutions that have a positive impact on the community,” states Vitor Rodrigues, director of PLAZA Madeira.
It is important to note that PLAZA Madeira has designed its Christmas decorations with care keeping energy efficiency and the rational use of resources in mind. Having invested in a decorative theme of more than a thousand lights spread over the three floors of the shopping centre, 740 decorative pieces and special emphasis on its 16-metre-high suspended Christmas tree there will be no shortage of Christmas dazzle. Moreover, there will be more than 100 light curtains and two giant decorative elements to give a Christmas touch at the entrances of the shopping centre.
Maintaining its commitment to sustainability, PLAZA Madeira chose to reduce the period during which the lighting is active, which will only take place from 17:00, in order to reduce energy expenditure. This will however change tomorrow and Christmas week when the lights will be turned on earlier.
Samantha Gannon
info at madeira-weekly.com