GERMANY has taken festive excess to a whole new level with the unveiling of the world’s most expensive Christmas tree.
Standing at 10 feet tall, this solid gold monstrosity is worth an eye-watering £4million.
The gilded giant, crafted by Munich-based bullion dealers Pro Aurum, is made of 2,024 gold Vienna Philharmonic coins, chosen to mark the year.
Weighing more than 60 kilograms, it is crowned with a 24-carat gold coin in place of a traditional star or angel.
Benjamin Summa, spokesperson for Pro Aurum, praised the gold Christmas tree as a beautiful representation of the enduring significance of precious metal.
While Pro Aurum celebrates this stunning creation, some critics have labeled it insensitive given the current challenges associated with the high cost of living.
And before anyone gets any ideas, the tree is not for sale.
Pro Aurum said that it’s meant to showcase the enduring value of gold, rather than invite prospective buyers.
This isn’t the first time a Christmas tree has sparked controversy or disbelief.
Over the years, holiday decorations around the world have swung wildly between opulence and outright absurdity.
Paris’ inflatable “Sex Toy” Tree in 2014 is one of the prime examples.
Situated in Place Vendôme, the 80-foot inflatable “Tree” which was possibly meant to be a display of contemporary art, has unfortunately been compared to a sex toy due to its striking resemblance, leading to it being humorously dubbed the “butt plug tree.”
American artist Paul McCarthy’s creation faced widespread criticism and vandalism, sparking debates over artistic boundaries.
McCarthy, infamous for provocative works like the “Santa Claus” statue in Rotterdam (also dubbed the “butt plug gnome”), defended his work, but the Parisian public was far from convinced.
In 2012, the abstract “Pharmacy” Tree in Brussels caused widespread uproar.
Christmas traditionalists were aghast when a futuristic light installation replaced the city’s usual pine tree in the Grand Place.
Critics accused officials of political correctness, claiming the glowing cubes were a concession to non-Christian groups.
While some appreciated its modernist flair and nightly light shows, others derisively nicknamed it “The Pharmacy,” saying it resembled a chemist’s green cross.
Meanwhile, locals have reacted angrily to the town’s new £4,000 “eyesore” metal Christmas tree, calling it a “outrageous” use of public funds and demanding that it be replaced with a real one.
When illuminated, the “modern festive centrepiece” is meant to emit a “striking light,” however during the day, some locals have noticed that it looks more like a metal frame with “black bin bags hiding the plugs.”
Following the council’s decision to spend money on the new high street addition, residents of Cardigan, a market town of 4000 people in West Wales, are demanding that a natural Christmas tree be installed.
They say the Christmas tree looks like a “builders’ yard”, with some adding it is “basically scaffolding poles with lights draped over it”.
