The official beginning of the Giftmas season has come again to Amsterdam!
This year Turn on the Lights was celebrated with a giant marionette, which was an incredible feat of event planning!
Not only was it hauled up to full height by a crane, but then it was manoeuvred though the crowd of thousands in Dam Square!
Even more impressive, the puppet then went on to roll a giant hamster wheel through the crowds!
The wheel spun, and had aerialists inside it who alternately took turns dangling and spinning from the top of the wheel as it rotated.
Once the wheel was on the ground and being rolled around the square by the puppet, the now spare crane picked up 42 people …
… in order for them to sing and do a dance routine to Queen’s “Don’t Stop Me Now”!
Once they deployed their glitter stash, we all counted down and the fireworks went off!
It was a wonderful event this year, as were the previous two years that I have been to. But I did kind of miss the weirdness of last years spectacle. With the lights on, it was time to work on finalising my Giftmas shopping. I only had a few pieces left to buy.
It wasn’t as cold as I expected it to be. In fact, I had thought I was over dressed until the start of the extravaganza was delayed by a half hour.
An extra half hour in the Dam at 7C (but felt like 4C according to my weather ap) did start to cut through at the knees!
The rest of this week I’ll be completing the tales of our adventures in Rome, so I look forward to sharing that with you over the coming days!
ghoti industries 
Oooooo! Though indeed a bit less colouful and out-there than last year by the sounds of it, still quite a spectacle 🙂 Thank you for sharing with us!