The Norwegian spruce that will soon be decorating Trafalgar Square for Christmas has been chosen following a public vote in Oslo.
Erecting the tree in 2023 (c) ianVisits
Every year since 1947, the city of Oslo has gifted a tree to London as a significant part of the cities’ shared history, and the symbolism is as important today as it was when it first started in the dying days of WWII.
This year, three trees were nominated for this annual tradition, and over 2,000 votes were cast to decide if Nordic Star, Fjord Fir, or Ever Oslo would be chosen as the Norwegian city’s gift to London.
The public chose Ever Oslo, a 20-metre-tall tree that’s around 60 years old and grew along the forest path between Ullevålsseter and Kobberhaugen, a popular hiking area.
The exact location is here.
This year’s Christmas tree is “Ever Oslo”. Image: Le Hang Duong / Oslo kommune
Now it has been chosen, Ever Oslo will be cut down on Friday 21st November, led by the Mayor of Oslo, Anne Lindboe, along with the Lord Mayor of Westminster, Paul Dimoldenberg and the British Ambassador to Norway, Jan Thompson.
A replacement tree is also planted afterwards.
The Christmas tree will then travel over 180km to the port of Brevik where it will be loaded on a ship to Immingham in Lincolnshire before making the trip to London.
The tree will be installed in Trafalgar Square, and the tree lighting ceremony, in the Nordic style with long vertical lines of lights, will take place on Thursday 4th December, with events from 5:30pm and the lights switched on at 6pm.
The ceremony will include Christmas carols led by the Regent Hall Band of the Salvation Army and a poem to the Christmas tree written and read by children who live in Westminster. There will also be a performance by The Band of His Majesty’s Royal Marines Collingwood, and the ceremony is expected to conclude around 6:30pm.
Shortly after, the ancient ceremony of the ungrateful Twitter Whingers complaining about the tree will commence.
