WASHINGTON —
It’s not easy to stand in the shadow of the White House. But if anything’s up for the challenge, it’s the 35-foot red spruce that will soon be lit as this year’s National Christmas Tree.
Decorated with more than 300 ornaments and 60,000 individual lights, the tree is a holiday tradition that dates back more than a century. It was first lit in 1923 after D.C. Public School students brought the idea to President Calvin Coolidge.
Today, the National Tree is surrounded by 56 smaller trees – one for every state, D.C. and America’s five permanent territories.
“They are kind of the unsung heroes of this ceremony and this event,” said, Dawn Rodney, Chief External Affairs Officer for the National Park Foundation.
The surrounding trees are decorated with ornaments designed by students.
“I think it’s exciting to see what makes people call home ‘home,’” said Jasmine Shanti, spokesperson for the National Park Service.
Both Shanti and Rodney agree the trees represent something powerful during the holiday season.
“I think what it represents to me is this wonderful connectedness,” Rodney said. “This kind of event reminds us that we are one country [and] one people with this real common ground.”
This year’s National Christmas Tree lighting will take place Thursday. A broadcast of the event will air on WUSA9 on Dec. 20 at 8 p.m.