Where is the Trafalgar Square Christmas tree from and when will it be lit?
It's a tradition that dates back to the 1940s.
Christmas time is just around the corner, and if you have been walking the streets oif London, you’ll know that more than most.
With festive lights being put up in the likes of Oxford Street and seasonal markets in Leicester Square, it is not hard to tell that the Yuletide is here.
One such sight that people have clocked is the Trafalgar Square Christmas tree.
While some may not be too impressed with how the tree looks, it is part of a tradition that dates back to the 1940s.
But where does the tree come from, and when will it be lit?
Ahead of the lighting ceremony, Metro.co.uk looks at the history of the tradition.
Where is the Trafalgar Square Christmas tree from?
The tree comes all the way from Norway.
Each November, in the Norwegian forest, a suitable tree is picked out and felled, as part of a ceremony attended by notable figures like the British Ambassador to Norway, Mayor of Oslo, and the Lord Mayor of Westminster.
Locals apparently refer to the tree as the ‘Queen of the Forest’.
After the tree is cut, it is driven via lorry to the Port of Brevik. The tree is said to be transported at night, and accompanied by a police escort – a VIP tree if ever there was one.
From Brevik, it’s loaded onto a ship and sent to the UK by boat, traveling an impressive 550 miles across the North Sea.
Once it arrives in the UK, it’s held in a ‘secret’ location, before being transported to Trafalgar Square, usually arriving in the early hours, to avoid congestion.
Once in position, a specialist rigging team erects the tree into it’s usual spot, via a hydraulic crane.
Why does Norway give the UK a tree?
Now for the history lesson.
The Trafalgar Square Christmas tree is given by the city of Oslo as a token of gratitude to the UK for their assistance during WW2.
When Norway was occupied by Germany, the Norwegian King, Haakon VII, and the government fled to the UK, with much of Norway’s resistance movement being organised from London.
At this point, radios were forbidden, though the national Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation (known as NRK) would broadcast back to Norway from London.
This was a way to provide crucial information and boost morale for listeners still in Norway – who would listen in secret.
The tree-giving tradition started in 1943, when Lieutenant Donald Buller evaded German detection to deliver radio equipment to allied agents on the heavily-patrolled Norwegian island of Batalden.
This secret mission saw him return from to Britain with Christmas trees given as gifts for the British Government, and the Norwegian King, who was living in exile.
It was this act that sparked the annual tradition going forward.
And what better way to say thank you?
Since 1947, Norway has gifted its finest pine Christmas tree to the city of London, a sight that can still be seen to this day.
Here’s what it looked like the first year it arrived
When will it be lit in 2022?
The lighting of the tree will take place on Thursday December 1, 2022.
The ceremony will last from 5.45pm and 6.45pm and will feature a reading from the Poetry Society of its seasonal children’s poetry commission, which will decorate the base of the tree.
The 25-foot tree will then be removed from the square on January 6, 2023 when it will be shredded for compost.
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