Christmas Trees – Norway style!
Our intrepid USA coordinator Fay Wheatley decided to get down to London’s Trafalgar Square to check out the tradition of the lighting of the Christmas Tree. Here’s what she had to say about the tree and its symbolism to the people of London and Oslo.
I had the privilege to experience the lighting of the Christmas tree at London’s Trafalgar Square on December 4th. The annual ceremony marks the close relationship between the people of Britain and Norway; the tree is donated by the people of Norway as a symbol of gratitude for Britain’s support during the Second World War. The tree is decorated and presented in traditional Norwegian fashion and is officially lit by the Lord Mayor of Westminster and his governing party. This year’s lighting of the tree marked the 61st London ceremony.
The Norwegian spruce is selected from the forests surrounding the city of Oslo and is chosen with great care. The tree keepers who look after it often refer to the chosen spruce as the ‘the queen of the forest.’ The actual lighting ceremony takes places in the early evening of the first Thursday in December. For many Londoners, the lighting of the Christmas tree along with the band playing and choir singing, often prevalent during the Trafalgar Square ceremony, marks the beginning of the Holiday season.
Next year, if you’re offered the opportunity to see this traditional London event, I would thoroughly recommend it.