Canillo nativity opens in Plaça Carlemany with 80 restored life‑size figures
Traditional nativity inaugurated amid heavy snowfall, attended by local officials, volunteers and school pupils; route extended and a new postman.
Key Points
- Inaugurated in Plaça Carlemany this morning amid heavy snow; officials, communal team and schoolchildren attended.
- Around 80 life‑size human and animal figures have been restored and repainted; route extended toward Sella car park.
- New postman figure modelled on the Spanish postal service added; children invited to search for “tions and tiones.”
- Volunteers served hot chocolate and anise cake; exhibition open to visitors until 12 January.
The traditional Canillo nativity display was inaugurated this morning in Plaça Carlemany amid heavy snowfall and bitter cold. Members of the communal team and local officials attended alongside pupils from the parish’s Andorran and French schools. Those present included cònsol major Jordi Alcobé, fellow cònsol Marc Casal, councillor for Tourism and Commerce Àlex Kinchella and general councillors Jordi Jordana and Meritxell Alcobé.
This year’s installation features roughly eighty life‑size figures, both human and animal, many of which have been restored and repainted. The route runs from Plaça Carlemany (Casa Comuna) along the river to the Chapel of Santa Creu and has been extended this season toward the Sella car park near the entrance to the Canillo Brilla display.
A new addition is a postman figure modelled on the Spanish postal service, complete with uniform and logo, included as an homage to those who once delivered news to parish households. Mossèn Ramon, who photographed the opening with his customary red camera, said the postman’s imagined messages would be conciliatory and urged people to “repositivize.”
Àlex Kinchella formally opened the nativity, welcomed the children and, together with Mossèn Ramon, described the characters and layout. Young visitors were invited to take part in a complementary activity searching for “tions and tiones” around the parish core.
Volunteers served hot chocolate and slices of anise cake to attendees. The inaugural ribbon was cut with the assistance of cònsol major Jordi Alcobé, who encouraged the children to enjoy the exhibition.
The nativity will remain on display through the Christmas season and is open to visitors until 12 January.
Original Sources
This article was aggregated from the following Catalan-language sources: