Flickr - USCapitol - Capitol Christmas Tree - 2009

The Capitol Christmas Tree (formerly the Capitol Holiday Tree) is the decorated tree that is erected annually on the West Front Lawn of the

United States Capitol The United States Capitol, often called The Capitol or the Capitol Building, is the seat of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, which is formally known as the United States Congress. It is located on Capitol Hill ...

, in Washington, D.C., to celebrate the Christmas holiday season. The selection, installation, and decoration of the tree are all overseen by the Superintendent of the Capitol Grounds of the

Architect of the Capitol The Architect of the Capitol (AOC) is the federal agency responsible for the maintenance, operation, development, and preservation of the United States Capitol Complex. It is an agency of the legislative branch of the federal government and is ...

(AOC). The tree is traditionally lit by the Speaker of the United States House of Representatives, joined by a essay contest winner during a ceremony at the beginning of December, and remains lit each night through New Year's Day. By tradition, the

President President most commonly refers to: *President (corporate title) * President (education), a leader of a college or university * President (government title) President may also refer to: Automobiles * Nissan President, a 1966–2010 Japanese ...

and

Vice President of the United States The vice president of the United States (VPOTUS) is the second-highest officer in the executive branch of the U.S. federal government, after the president of the United States, and ranks first in the presidential line of succession. The vice ...

will not attend the tree lighting ceremony.

History

Records of the AOC indicate that a Christmas Tree was purchased in 1919; however, it was not until 1964, one year after the suggestion of

John W. McCormack John William McCormack (December 21, 1891 – November 22, 1980) was an American politician from Boston, Massachusetts. An attorney and a Democrat, McCormack served in the United States Army during World War I, and afterwards won terms in both th ...

, the 53rd

Speaker of the House The speaker of a deliberative assembly, especially a legislative body, is its presiding officer, or the chair. The title was first used in 1377 in England. Usage The title was first recorded in 1377 to describe the role of Thomas de Hungerf ...

, that a procedure was established for the installation of a yearly tree. The 1963 tree was a live

Douglas-fir The Douglas fir (''Pseudotsuga menziesii'') is an evergreen conifer species in the pine family, Pinaceae. It is native to western North America and is also known as Douglas-fir, Douglas spruce, Oregon pine, and Columbian pine. There are three va ...

, purchased from a

Pennsylvania Pennsylvania (; ( Pennsylvania Dutch: )), officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a state spanning the Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern, Appalachian, and Great Lakes regions of the United States. It borders Delaware to its southeast, ...

nursery. It was re-decorated each year through 1967 when it was severely damaged in a wind storm and subsequently died as a result of root damage. After the 1963 tree died, white pines from

Maryland Maryland ( ) is a state in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. It shares borders with Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware and the Atlantic Ocean to ...

were cut down and put on display for the 1968 and 1969 seasons. Beginning in 1970, trees have been provided by the U.S. Forest Service from various National Forests. In the late 1990s, the ''Capitol Christmas Tree'' was renamed to the ''Capitol Holiday Tree''. There was never a clear explanation as to why the name change occurred, but the name change raised controversy. On November 29, 2005, the day after the 2005 tree arrived from

New Mexico ) , population_demonym = New Mexican ( es, Neomexicano, Neomejicano, Nuevo Mexicano) , seat = Santa Fe , LargestCity = Albuquerque , LargestMetro = Tiguex , OfficialLang = None , Languages = English, Spanish ( New Mexican), Navajo, Ke ...

, the tree was renamed the ''Capitol Christmas Tree'' at the request of Dennis Hastert, the 59th Speaker of the House. Traditionally, The tree is lit following a 5 second countdown and the tree lighting ceremony has been followed by the playing of

O Christmas Tree "" (; "O fir tree", English: O Christmas Tree) is a German Christmas song. Based on a traditional folk song which was unrelated to Christmas, it became associated with the traditional Christmas tree. History The modern lyrics were written in 1824 ...

Trees

Gallery

Capitol Christmas Tree in Ukiah, California - 2021-10-31 - Sarah Stierch 02.jpg, Special semi-truck wrap for the 2021 Capitol Christmas Tree Capitol Christmas Tree in Ukiah, California - 2021-10-31 - Sarah Stierch 01.jpg, 2021 Capitol Christmas Tree in its transport Capitol Christmas Tree in Ukiah, California - 2021-10-31 - Sarah Stierch 08.jpg, People signing the truck transporting the 2021 Capitol Christmas Tree at an event in Ukiah, California File:Arrival of the 2022 Capitol Christmas Tree (52508817775).jpg, Arrival of the 2022 Capitol Christmas Tree

References

{{coords, 38.8898, -77.0112, display=title United States Capitol grounds Individual Christmas trees Recurring events established in 1963 1963 establishments in Washington, D.C. Christmas in Washington, D.C. Individual trees in the District of Columbia

History

Trees

Gallery

See also

References