The Christmas spirit comes in early, as The Ritz-Carlton, Bangalore deLights us with their annual Christmas tree lighting event.

And apart from the tree, they also nobly light up lives as they team up with Make A Wish foundation, an NGO that grants wishes of deserving children in 50 countries across the globe, with the help of people’s generosity.

I was invited to be a part of this beautiful event and I entered the driveway flanked by flaming bushes, alight with the glitter of Christmas.

The entire hotel was resplendent with every nook and corner bearing Christmas colors in the strings of baubles, bells, stars and poinsettias that hung over doorways, lined the walls and embraced the pillars.

A 3D Gingerbread house in the lobby, generated as much interest in the adults as in the children and was the focus of entertainment and photo ops 😀

Needless to say, the food and drink was par excellence in true Ritz style and the array of goodies like Yule logs, gingerbread cookies, plum pudding, Christmas breads, along with the mulled wine, just added to the warmth and excitement.

Before the main lighting ceremony, the hotel had invited about 25 children with life-threatening medical conditions, from the NGO and they had their own little party with Santa Claus brightening up their evening.

Guests who arrived for the lighting, also made their generous contributions to the NGO by buying ‘gingerbread bricks’ which were then iced with their names and placed on the walls of the gingerbread house. An innovative way to build support (pun intended 😀 )

The evening ended with the rather tall Santa lighting up the tree and of course everyone vying for their picture with him 😀

A wonderful initiative and event, carried off with the class and elegance that is the hallmark of The Ritz-Carlton, Bangalore

For more pictures see My Facebook – The Ritz-Carlton, Annual Christmas tree lighting

Nov, 22nd, 2017