Thousands flocked to watch Rio de Janeiro's famous holiday tradition - the inauguration of the huge floating Christmas tree. The crowd cheered as the lights blazed and the fireworks emerged from the world's largest floating Christmas tree, a gigantic metal structure as tall as a 27-story tower block. The Christmas tree, first erected in 1996, constitutes Rio de Janeiro's third biggest tourist event after the pre-lenten Carnival and New Year's Eve on Copacabana and other beaches. This year's highlight were the pictures of Brazil's famous sites inside the 27 Christmas balls that decorated the tree.