"Bishkek and Minsk had the big 'switch-on' for their main 'New Year' trees on Monday, marking the start of the festive season. Footage shows dazzling displays of lights, with those in Bishkek treated to a spectacular fire show. "May the light of our colourful New Year tree further illuminate the beauty of our city, bringing joy and warmth to every citizen and guest of our capital. May New Year be a celebration of our new hopes, pure desires and our future global plans," said Mayor of Bishkek Aibek Junushaliyev. Meanwhile, Maria, a resident of Minsk, said her capital's celebrations were a wonderful experience - with 'Father Frost', similar to Santa Claus, and the 'Snow Maiden' wowing onlookers. "This is my first time at the opening ceremony. I'm very impressed. Everything is beautiful. The Snow Maiden is so beautiful, and Father Frost. The children were dancing. <…> It's beautiful. Everything is beautiful, I like everything. Now we'll wait for our New Year wishes to come true," she said. According to Kyrgyz media, a large festive recreation area was set up on Ala-Too Square in Bishkek, featuring a 1,500 square metre ice rink, shopping stalls, a food court and a photo zone. Belarusian outlets reported that millions of lights across the capital were lit up along with the country's main New Year tree. This year, the lights stretch for 340 kilometres and include tens of thousands of garlands and hundreds of light installations. Both countries celebrate New Year as the main festive event, with Christmas itself a more religious affair in early January."