A spot of cheer in the gloom

The finishing touches are put to a Christmas tree in the Greek capital’s Omonia Square on Wednesday. Resisting the doom and gloom, Athens, Thessaloniki and other municipalities across the country are hoping to spread a spot of yuletide joy. In the capital, the municipal authority promises the brightest Christmas yet and plans to switch on the lights on its main tree, in Syntagma, this weekend. In hard-hit Thessaloniki, the municipality is preparing 5,500 care packages for people in need, as well as offering support to medical workers. Piraeus, meanwhile, promises to regale folks stuck at home with a big fireworks display on New Year’s. [InTime News]