I love Santa! Screamed an excited Kellan Gahima, before running off, holding his little sister’s hand, to their mother who was standing five feet away, displaying the gifts Santa had given each of them.

This was the case for many of the children who attended the Christmas Tree Lighting evening on December 2 at the Radisson Blu Hotel and Convention Centre.

The event that officially kicked off the Yuletide season in Kigali was attended by many Kigali-based children aged 1 to 10, accompanied primarily by their parents.

The annual Christmas tree lighting ceremony was graced by Mr Rob Kucera, Radisson Blu Hotel and Kigali Convention Centre Complex General Manager and District Director East Africa, who assured the hotel’s readiness to host and celebrate the end-of-year holidays with their customers.

According to him, this year’s Christmas celebration is extra special after the Covid-19 pandemic. For nearly three years, the pandemic prevented large-scale gatherings of people in one place.

This year’s ceremony housed a tall green tree adorned with golden lights and topped with a Christmas star, glistening with twinkling lights and dainty decorations.

Children were lavished with sweets, chocolates, drinks, and other delicacies. In addition to the singing and dancing performances, there was a separate area designated for play and games.