The Trafalgar Square Christmas tree is a

Christmas tree A Christmas tree is a decorated tree, usually an evergreen conifer, such as a spruce, pine or fir, or an artificial tree of similar appearance, associated with the celebration of Christmas. The custom was further developed in early modern ...

given to the people of

London London is the capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary dow ...

by the city of

Oslo Oslo ( , , or ; sma, Oslove) is the capital and most populous city of Norway. It constitutes both a county and a municipality. The municipality of Oslo had a population of in 2022, while the city's greater urban area had a population of ...

each year since 194

The tree is prominently displayed in

Trafalgar Square Trafalgar Square ( ) is a public square in the City of Westminster, Central London, laid out in the early 19th century around the area formerly known as Charing Cross. At its centre is a high column bearing a statue of Admiral Nelson comm ...

from the beginning of December until 6 January.

History

Trafalgar Square Christmas Carols - Dec 2006

A Trafalgar Square Christmas tree has been an annual gift to the people of Britain from Norway as a token of gratitude for British support to Norway during the

Second World War World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposi ...

since 1942, when the first tree was cut down by a Norwegian resistance fighter called Mons Urangsvåg during a raid on Hisøy, an island off the west coast of Norway between Bergen and Haugesund. The tree was then transported to England, where the Norwegian king,

Haakon VII Haakon VII (; born Prince Carl of Denmark; 3 August 187221 September 1957) was the King of Norway from November 1905 until his death in September 1957. Originally a Danish prince, he was born in Copenhagen as the son of the future Frederick ...

, was in exile, and given to him. A new tree has since grown from the original stump. The tree has provided a central focus for the Trafalgar Square traditional carol-singing programme, performed by different groups raising money for voluntary or charitable organisations. The tree remains until just before the Twelfth Night of Christmas, when it is taken down for recycling. The tree is chipped and composted, to make

mulch A mulch is a layer of material applied to the surface of soil. Reasons for applying mulch include conservation of soil moisture, improving fertility and health of the soil, reducing weed growth and enhancing the visual appeal of the area. A mu ...

.Christmas in Trafalgar Square
", Greater London Assembly, official site, 2008, accessed 26 March 2009.

Tree

The Trafalgar Square Christmas tree is typically a 50- to 60-year-old

Norway spruce ''Picea abies'', the Norway spruce or European spruce, is a species of spruce native to Northern, Central and Eastern Europe. It has branchlets that typically hang downwards, and the largest cones of any spruce, 9–17 cm long. It is very close ...

, generally over 20 metres tall. The tree is cut in Norway some time in November during a ceremony attended by the British Ambassador to Norway,

Mayor of Oslo The Mayor of Oslo is the chief executive of the Oslo. The Mayor's office administers all city services, public property, most public agencies, and enforces all city and state laws within Oslo city. List of mayors of oslo This is a list of ...

, and Lord Mayor of Westminster. After the tree is cut, it is shipped to the UK by boat across the sea. At one time it was shipped to

Felixstowe Felixstowe ( ) is a port town in Suffolk, England. The estimated population in 2017 was 24,521. The Port of Felixstowe is the largest container port in the United Kingdom. Felixstowe is approximately 116km (72 miles) northeast of London. H ...

free of charge by a cargo ship of the Fred Olsen Line. As of at least 2007, the tree was shipped across the

North Sea The North Sea lies between Great Britain, Norway, Denmark, Germany, the Netherlands and Belgium. An epeiric sea on the European continental shelf, it connects to the Atlantic Ocean through the English Channel in the south and the Norwegian ...

Immingham Immingham is a town, civil parish and ward in the North East Lincolnshire unitary authority of England. It is situated on the south-west bank of the Humber Estuary, and is north-west from Grimsby. The region was relatively unpopulated and und ...

DFDS Tor Line The Tor Line was a freight shipping company. Together with its subsidiaries, the Tor Line operated a fleet of approximately 65 ro-ro, ro-pax and lo-lo ships, primarily on the North and Baltic Seas. It was ultimately purchased by Denmark-bas ...

.Strange, Hannah.
The Trafalgar Christmas Tree
''

The Times ''The Times'' is a British daily national newspaper based in London. It began in 1785 under the title ''The Daily Universal Register'', adopting its current name on 1 January 1788. ''The Times'' and its sister paper '' The Sunday Times'' ( ...

'', (London), 6 December 2007, accessed 26 March 2009. As of 2018, it has been the responsibility of Radius Group, to transport, guard and erect the tree in Trafalgar Square. The Trafalgar Square tree is decorated in a traditional Norwegian style and adorned with 500 white lights.Trafalgar Square Christmas tree marks the start of Christmas in Westminster
, ''City of Westminster'', 8 December 2008, accessed 26 March 2009. In 2008, the tree utilised low-wattage halogen bulbs which used 3.5 kW of power. At the base of the tree stands a plaque, bearing the words:

''This tree is given by the city of Oslo as a token of Norwegian gratitude to the people of London for their assistance during the years 1940-45.

A tree has been given annually since 1947.''

Lighting ceremony and carolling

Lewisham Choral Society singing carols in Trafalgar Square for The Royal Society for The Blind

The tree lighting ceremony in Trafalgar Square takes place on the first Thursday in December and is attended by thousands of people. The ceremony, led by the Lord Mayor of Westminster, includes a band and choir followed by the switching on of the Christmas lights. Traditionally, the tree provides a focal point for

Christmas carol A Christmas carol is a carol (a song or hymn) on the theme of Christmas, traditionally sung at Christmas itself or during the surrounding Christmas holiday season. The term noel has sometimes been used, especially for carols of French or ...

ling groups.Baker, Margaret. ''Discovering Christmas Customs and Folklore: A Guide to Seasonal Rites'',
Google Books
, Osprey Publishing, 1992, p. 50,(). For many in London, the tree and the accompanying carolling signals the countdown to Christmas. Since 2009, the Poetry Society has commissioned new poems annually for display on banners around the base of the tree. In 2010, schoolchildren also performed one of the poems at the lighting-up ceremony.

References

External links

LONDON.GOV.UK - Christmas in Trafalgar Square

Trafalgar Square Christmas Tree on Twitter
{{Coord, 51.508157, -0.128114, type:event_region:GB-WSM_scale:500, display=title 1947 establishments in England 1947 introductions Aftermath of World War II in the United Kingdom Christmas in England Christmas in the United Kingdom Diplomatic gifts Flora of Norway Individual Christmas trees Individual trees in England Norway–United Kingdom relations