When most people think of the lighting of a national Christmas tree, they are often thinking of the ceremony near the White House during which the President flips a switch and lights the tree.
Yes, it’s a pretty sight. But just down the road on the West Lawn of the U.S. Capitol, a more magnificent tree – in my biased opinion – is illumined every year by the Speaker of the House of the U.S. House of Representatives for all Americans to see. Making this tree that much more special is the fact that for 50 years, the Christmas tree on Capitol Hill is brought to us as a gift from one of our national forests.
Adding to the beauty and magic of the tree are thousands of handmade ornaments created just for this Christmas tree by the children of Colorado. So, for these and other reasons, the U.S. Capitol Christmas Tree gets the honorary title of being called The Peoples’ Tree.
Now, after over a year of planning, the time has come to harvest the 55’ tall and 25’ wide Engelman Spruce, from the Grand Mesa, Uncompahgre and Gunnison (GMUG) National Forests.
The cutting ceremony, held virtually this year, will be on the GMUG National Forests and include brief remarks by USDA Forest Service leadership, local elected officials and project partners. A livestream of the ceremony and cutting will be available on the GMUG National Forests Facebook page.
The cutting ceremony will begin this Thursday at 2:30 p.m., Mountain Time. Once the tree is cut, it will be lifted by cranes and secured to a trailer before being transported off the forest.
Once wrapped and secured, the tree will begin its journey to Washington, D.C., on Nov. 10.
The tree will visit 10 communities for a series of outdoor festivities hosted by local communities at fair grounds, schools, main streets, visitor centers, convention centers and retailers. Well-wishers will have a chance to take photos, sign banners on the sides of the truck, learn more about the GMUG National Forests, the State of Colorado and more. Festivities are free and open to the public.
The U.S. Capitol Christmas Tree initiative is a 50-year tradition in which one of our 155 national forests provides a tree for the West Lawn of the U.S. Capitol for the holiday season. The project is made possible with support from partners including the nonprofit Choose Outdoors and Colorado Tourism along with cash and in-kind contributions from companies of all sizes, as well as volunteers. For a list of 2020 sponsors and to follow the tree’s journey across America, visit www.uscapitolchristmastree.com and @uscapitolchristmastree on Facebook and Instagram.
