This Saturday, November 30, at 8:00 p.m., the Christmas tree at the Government Palace will be lit, thus kicking off the so-called “Christmas Guaranía.” The tree is 12 meters high and is decorated with handcrafted pieces that reinforce the message of appreciation and importance of cultural identity.
The event will feature a grand musical show by the National Symphony Orchestra and the National Popular Music Orchestra, as well as a live nativity scene and a great spectacle for the whole family.
Also, next to the Palace, the “Plaza de Navidad” will be set up, with Christmas crafts and the largest clericó in the country at the Capasa stand.
“This event is for everyone, so we look forward to seeing you this Saturday to experience the magic of Christmas in Paraguay together,” said the President of the Republic, Santiago Peña, and the First Lady, Leticia Ocampos, inviting the families.
This year, the López Palace Christmas tree, through the elements that are part of popular and traditional crafts, seeks to honor the musical genre of “Guaranía” as the sound of the Paraguayan soul.
This cultural expression is a candidate for recognition as Intangible Cultural Heritage by UNESCO, which will be discussed at the 19th Meeting of the Intergovernmental Committee, which will take place in Paraguay in early December.
Thus, the renowned Guaranía “India”, a masterpiece by its creator José Asunción Flores with verses by Manuel Ortiz Guerrero, a musical piece that achieved unprecedented international significance, was chosen to be the anthem for these festivities.
Through its interpretation and with a complete score that surrounds the tree, and with musical notes made by hand, a recreation of this genre is presented to the public, in order to appreciate and learn more about this musical form so characteristic of our country.
Likewise, the tree is accompanied by another of Paraguay’s most deeply rooted cultural expressions: its crafts.
With Paraguayan basketry, the Christmas Guaranía tree is displayed with spheres made of different plant fibers, symbolising the moment of preparation for the harvest of the fruits and food that the earth offers.
The aim is also to highlight the diversity of national basketry production, highlighting the different types of fibres such as tacuara, ysypo, karandaý, totora and takuapi, which are used to make the baskets used to transport food and which today take on a greater meaning, that of decorating the Christmas tree at the Palacio de López, full of music and culture.
All this handmade production was thanks to the work of more than 150 Paraguayan artisan families and producers par excellence, from localities such as Areguá, Limpio, Emboscada, Itá, Atyra, Tobatí, Altos, Cerrito, Caaguazú, among others.
The Christmas tree is accompanied by the traditional Paraguayan Nativity scene, which is made in large volume by the pottery families of the city of Areguá, surrounded by the straw house, a fundamental symbol of faith and the Christmas festivities of Paraguay and Christmas Guaranía.
