From Oslo With Love: The Trafalgar Square Christmas Tree

The journey and history behind London's most famous Christmas Tree

Queen of the Forest

Photo: City of Oslo/Sturlason

The forestry section of Oslo City Council have up to 200 trees identified and monitored at any time that may become suitable Christmas trees in the future. They select one about two weeks before the felling ceremony and keep its identity closely-guarded until just before the felling. The foresters call it “The queen of the forest”.

Let the Ceremony begin!

Photo: City of Oslo/Sturlason

This is the 68th tree given by the people of Oslo to the people of London. A tree has been given annually since 1947 as a token of gratitude for Britain’s support during WWII.

A little history...

During WWII, German troops besieged Norway and in 1940 the neutral country was forced to surrender to the Nazis. For almost five years the royal family, government and defence chiefs were given refuge in London while Norwegian soldiers fought alongside the Allies. London came to represent hope and freedom for millions in occupied Norway.

Spruced-up

Photo: City of Oslo/Sturlason

The Trafalgar Square Christmas tree is typically a Norwegian spruce, more than 20 metres tall and 50 - 60 years old. This year's chosen tree meets all the requirements: it is 52 years of age and 21 metres tall. It weighs in at about 4 tonnes.

Time to roll...

Photo: City of Oslo/Sturlason

And so the tree begins its 700 mile journey by land and sea, which takes 2 weeks to complete.

On time arrival

Christmas Tree in Trafalgar Square (Paul Gillett) / CC BY-SA http://2.0

It takes several hours to put the tree up. Scaffolding is erected, the tree is winched up using a hydraulic crane. The base of the tree trunk is secured four feet into the ground.

Lit-up

"Trafalgar Square Christmas tree9" by Anneke_B - originally posted to Flickr as Norwegian Christmas Tree on Trafalgar Square. Licensed under CC BY-SA http://2.0 via Wikimedia Commons - commons.wikimedia.org

The tree is decorated in the traditional Norwegian style for outdoor Christmas trees, which means simple strings of energy-efficient lights hung vertically from the top.

Away in a Manger

Three days after the lighting of the Christmas Tree, there is a blessing of the crib ceremony. On loan from St Martin in the Fields, the church which stands on the edges of Trafalgar Square itself, the nativity scene remains on display in the Square for the whole of December.

Oh Christmas Tree

This year carols will be sung beneath the Christmas tree in Trafalgar Square for four hours every day from Dec 8 until Dec 23, with more than 50 carol groups taking part. Performances take place from 4pm-8pm on weekdays and 2pm-6pm on weekends.

Mirror, Mirror

Calum McRoberts [CC BY-SA http://2.0 (creativecommons.org], via Wikimedia Commons

The lighting ceremony is mirrored in Sunderland, Grimsby, Edinburgh, Aberdeen, Newcastle and the Orkney Islands, who are gifted trees from the Norwegian cities and towns of Stavanger, Sortland, Hordaland and Grimstad.

A little souvenir

Photo: City of Oslo/Sturlason

Slices of the trunk of the felled tree are usually kept by the Mayor of Oslo, Lord Mayor of Westminster and the British Ambassador to Norway.