Christmas spirit comes to Abdali Boulevard

AMMAN — For the fifth consecutive year, The Boulevard in Abdali is spreading the Christmas spirit with celebrations featuring an open market and several activities held throughout the holiday season.

The festivities kicked off on Thursday with the annual Christmas tree lighting ceremony, and are slated to continue through January 6. 

 “This year, we planned for more magnificent decorations that celebrate the beauty of an authentic Christmas with bells, cottage style kiosks, twinkling garlands — and, of course, our beautifully adorned Christmas tree,” said Lama Al Khatib, head of the marketing section at The Boulevard.

“Christmas at The Boulevard goes beyond decorations,” Khatib told The Jordan Times, noting that “we also focus on satisfying the needs of different age groups by offering a range of entertainment activities.”

A Santa’s Closet area with seven occasion-themed games, an ice skating rink, workshops for children and adults, carousel rides, school choirs and cooking workshops are some of the activities present at The Boulevard this year.

Taeyon Kim, a tourist from South Korea, told The Jordan Times that “this place [the decked walkway] makes you feel like you just walked in a fairytale,” adding that “it is wonderful to see all the people from different backgrounds coming together to celebrate the magic of the season.”

Katherine Smith, an American residing in Jordan, said that she is “grateful for the Christmas spirit at The Boulevard, which brings you a little bit closer to home despite the distance.”

“As I go through this walkway, the Christmas tree and the lights bring all these happy memories from my childhood back to me,” Smith added.

Balqees Awwad, a Jordanian mother of four, said that “this is a wonderful place to come with the family because there are options for everyone, and the children are so happy,” noting that she has been attending the celebrations for the past three years.

On the economic impact of the festivities, Khatib said: “Our partners are always anticipating the Christmas season at The Boulevard due to the popularity of the event among Jordanians,” adding that “it is one of the top destinations to celebrate Christmas in Amman and it is also gaining exposure at a regional level.”

“Whether retail shops or food and beverage outlets, our partners find this season to be a true boost to their businesses, and they even jump into the festivities by customising special products or offering in-store discounts in celebration of this lovely time of the year,” she added, highlighting that the celebrations attract up to 300,000 visitors throughout the month.