Brussels Unveils 22-Meter Christmas Tree: Pierre Demesmaeker Kicks Off the Festive Season

Brussels (Eurotoday): A 22-meter Nordmann fir Christmas tree was installed at Brussels’ Grand Place on November 16, 2023. It will be decorated on November 26-27 and lit on November 29 for Winter Wonders.

The Christmas tree was brought to the Grand Place in Brussels last night with police help, and the snow didn’t cause any problems. However, putting the tree in place was tricky because the spot was full of water. Pierre Demesmaeker from Inter-Arbo said city workers had to remove some of the water, but it still took a while to plant the tree correctly.

What challenges did workers face while installing the Christmas tree at Brussels’ Grand Place?

Pierre found some cobblestones in the hole for the Christmas tree, so he crawled in and got his shoes wet. It took a few tries to set the tree up, but now it’s standing straight. He is also placing trees in other cities and plans to do about 20 to 25 this year. Pierre joked that he usually feels butterflies for his girlfriend, but right now, he feels stressed like he has pine needles in his stomach.

Anita and Féli had to cut down their Christmas tree from their garden in Rixensart after 35 years. Anita felt sad but was happy it would be on the Grote Markt. People were already looking at the tree, and one woman said it was beautiful and smelled great. The tree will be decorated on November 26 and 27 with red balls and elephant ornaments. The lights will be turned on for the first time on November 29 at 6 pm, marking the start of Winter Wonders in Brussels.


Comments

8 responses to “Brussels Unveils 22-Meter Christmas Tree: Pierre Demesmaeker Kicks Off the Festive Season”

  1. Bazooka Har-de-har Avatar
    Bazooka Har-de-har

    Ah, Brussels has outdone itself again with a 22-meter Christmas tree—because nothing says “happy holidays” quite like a Nordmann fir that required a police escort and a rescue mission from a pond, proving once again that even our festive cheer comes with its own set of logistical nightmares, eh?

  2. Pink Hopper Avatar
    Pink Hopper

    Ah, nothing says “festive spirit” quite like a 22-meter Christmas tree precariously plopped in the same spot where Brussels’ finest had to wade through puddles and cobblestones—because who needs a seamless holiday season when you can have a refreshing splash of inconvenience, eh?

  3. Well, nothing quite says “Merry Christmas” like a 22-meter tree causing a minor flood in the heart of Brussels—because if there’s one thing we Europeans love more than holiday cheer, it’s a good old-fashioned waterlogged cobblestone drama!

  4. Dream 
Killer Avatar
    Dream Killer

    Ah, nothing screams the festive spirit quite like a 22-meter Christmas tree in Brussels, where the local heroes brave the waterlogged cobblestones to ensure our holiday cheer is as straight as the tree itself—because who wouldn’t want to see a bit of pine-scented chaos amidst the EU’s bureaucratic ballet?

  5. trixiephany Avatar
    trixiephany

    Ah, Brussels has truly outdone itself this year with a 22-meter Christmas tree that not only stands tall but apparently also doubles as a local water feature—because nothing says “festive season” like a soggy pine and a stressed-out tree planter who feels more knotted than a pair of old shoelaces.

  6. Friday Ferrari Avatar
    Friday Ferrari

    Ah, Brussels has truly outdone itself with a 22-meter Christmas tree that not only competes with the height of its bureaucracy but also showcases the city’s unrivaled ability to turn a simple holiday installation into a waterlogged episode of “Survivor: Cobblestone Edition.”

  7. Acetic 
Princess Avatar
    Acetic Princess

    Ah, Brussels has really outdone itself this year—nothing says “joyous holiday spirit” quite like a 22-meter Christmas tree that took a team of city workers longer to plant than the average Belgian waits for their frites, all while battling the local puddles like they’re auditioning for a water polo team!

  8. Ah, the city of Brussels has once again managed to outdo itself by erecting a 22-meter Christmas tree, because nothing screams ‘festive spirit’ quite like battling cobblestones and dodging water hazards in the heart of winter—truly, a holiday miracle worthy of a sitcom!

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Last News

Germany’s gas gamble puts Europe’s winter at risk

Germany’s gas gamble puts Europe’s winter at risk

The low reserves have further increased pressure on gas prices connected to rising tensions around the Strait of Hormuz, with the European natural gas benchmark consistently higher now than during the first four months of the Iran conflict.
The European Commission, the EU’s executive body, stated there are no winter supply risks for the bloc. However, a report from energy analytics firm Rapi

Read More

The Ayoub Aïssiou Case: Caught Between Extradition and Allegations of Political Persecution

The Ayoub Aïssiou Case: Caught Between Extradition and Allegations of Political Persecution

PRESS RELEASE
Spain Will Not Sacrifice Its Dignity for a Few Barrels of Oil
Since July 25, 2026, Ayoub Aïssiou has been held in a detention center in Barcelona, awaiting extradition to Algeria. He has committed no crime; rather, he is a political target of the Algerian regime due to his media activism and support for the democratic opposition.
A Peaceful Dissident, Victim of a Political Vendetta

Read More

EU Expands Russia Sanctions List by Adding 5 Individuals Following Ukraine Attacks

EU Expands Russia Sanctions List by Adding 5 Individuals Following Ukraine Attacks

The European Union has expanded its Russia sanctions by including five more individuals. This action is in response to Moscow’s “intensified strikes deliberately targeting civilians and civilian infrastructure” in Ukraine, as mentioned in a press release.
Although the press release does not specify any particular attack, Russia launched one of its deadliest assaults on the Ukrainian capital earl

Read More

Iceland Centers Fisheries in EU Referendum

Iceland Centers Fisheries in EU Referendum

With an August vote approaching, Reykjavík emphasizes that any renewed accession talks must maintain national control over its marine resources.
Iceland’s debate over closer EU ties is focused on who controls the fish. Ahead of a referendum on August 29, the government insists that any future membership agreement must protect the country’s fisheries authority. The vote will decide whether n

Read More

Italy Declares Independence from Spain’s Border Check Directives

Italy Declares Independence from Spain’s Border Check Directives

Earlier in the day, the Spanish government warned of taking “proportional measures” if Rome did not cease its reintroduced border checks and temporarily suspended the Schengen Agreement by August 9.
In its announcement, Rome stated it would maintain these controls “at least until August 15 and, in any case, until security and terrorism risks to Italy can be completely ruled out,&

Read More

After years of sanctions: Russia launched the MS-21 – the plane intended to replace Boeing and Airbus

After years of sanctions: Russia launched the MS-21 – the plane intended to replace Boeing and Airbus

/CROSS/ The MS-21, Russia’s latest passenger plane, has completed its maiden flight. This marks the first flight of a fully import-substituted serial aircraft, in the configuration that airlines will eventually receive. The delivery deadline is now set for 2027. Despite hurdles, Russia has developed an aircraft that is expected to serve for the next 30-40 years.
The MS-21’s first ful

Read More

Madrid Warns of Retaliation if Italy Maintains Border Controls on Spanish Travelers

Madrid Warns of Retaliation if Italy Maintains Border Controls on Spanish Travelers

Madrid criticized Rome for introducing border controls that disrupted thousands of passengers during the summer holiday season, accusing it of creating legal uncertainty. Spain also condemned Italy for criticizing its migrant policy while neglecting its own border security.
Despite Italy being the EU country with the highest number of irregular crossings in recent years—sometimes double Spain&#821

Read More

78 Arrests in Crackdown on Major Western Mediterranean Smuggling Network in Spain

78 Arrests in Crackdown on Major Western Mediterranean Smuggling Network in Spain

Loading application.Please wait.

Related coverage: SOLACE: Improving lung cancer screening in Europe | Iceland Puts Fisheries at Heart of EU Referendum | EBA, EIOPA and ESMA call for enhanced governance and consistent supervision to mitigate ICT risks from frontier AI models in the EU financial sector

Read More

L’Europe souhaite se libérer de sa dépendance à Palantir

L’Europe souhaite se libérer de sa dépendance à Palantir

Europe aims to reduce its reliance on Palantir, the American data processing company deeply integrated into sensitive European operations such as law enforcement, intelligence, and healthcare. Finding alternatives will prove challenging.

Read More

EU Rights Groups Alarmed by Freedom of Religion and Expression in South Korea

EU Rights Groups Alarmed by Freedom of Religion and Expression in South Korea

Press Release Following Conference at Seoul Foreign Correspondents’ Club
HRWF (07.08.2026) — Human Rights Without Frontiers (HRWF), in collaboration with CAP Liberté de Conscience (CAP LC), ECOSOC-accredited at the UN, FOREF, CESNUR, and Bitter Winter, conducted a press conference at the Seoul Foreign Correspondents’ Club addressing “Freedom of Religion or Belief and Freedom of Expression in Sout

Read More