The world’s most famous Christmas Tree, located in the heart of Trafalgar Square London, is shining bright with love, care and gratitude, courtesy of the residents from Oslo, Norway.
For more than 75 years, Norway has sent a tree to the United Kingdom to thank Britain for its support during the Second World War.
Last year, the Wood Central Publisher visited the tree, with its plaque reading, “The 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 – 1945, a tree has been given annually since 1947.”
Norway has a special bond with London dating back to April 1940 after the Nazi invasion and occupation forced the Norwegian king and government to form a government-in-exile in London.
At the same time, the British military was instrumental in training and organising commandos to attack Nazi installations within Norway.
It spurred several Norway cities to donate “impressive spruce examples” to cities right across the United Kingdom, including Newcastle upon Tyne, which for 70 years has received a tree from the people of Bergen and has come “to symbolise the deep and long-lasting friendship between Norway and the United Kingdom.”
This year’s London tree, which towers over Trafalgar Square and is PEFC-certified (of course), is a 70-year-old Norwegian spruce, dubbed the “queen of the forest” from woodlands around Oslo.
According to the BBC, fell during a ceremony in November attended by the Lord Mayor of Westminster, Patricia McAllister, who described the spruce as “spectacular”.
Every year, the tree is brought to the United Kingdom by sea and then completes its journey by truck. A hydraulic crane and specialists are needed to erect and decorate the tree.
The tree is then “dressed” in traditional “vertical” Norwegian lights, with the lights displayed from December 7 until just after New Year’s Day.
The tree was selected months before it fell, with PEFC – the world’s largest forest certification scheme- proudly displayed on the trees’ plaque, confirming that the tree was “sustainably managed” in the 70 years leading up to its felling.
Over 9 million hectares of Norway’s forests are certified by PEFC, making up almost 90% of the country’s forests – which means “practically all production forests are PEFC certified,” according to PEFC International.
Lord Mayor McAllister said the tree felling was “astonishing, spectacular, emotional, especially when the tree was hoisted [from where it’s been for] the last 70 years.” Before confirming to the BBC, this year’s version “is a spectacular tree.”
“It is stunning,” she said, which is distinct from some of the past trees which divided opinion online, with suggestions they were “sparse” or “anaemic.”
However, the Norwegian foresters described this year as chosen as “the queen of the forest”, putting to rest any concerns over the tee’s aesthetics!
To coincide with the tree-lighting ceremony, the Poetry Society has commissioned a poem as part of an annual tradition. This year’s poem, read earlier this month, is called “T for Tree” by Isabel Galleymore and was written for children.
The spruce will remain in Trafalgar Square until January 5, when it will be chipped and composted, before planning for next year’s tree, which will begin in August.
