The Christmas tree is a gift from the City of Oslo to London, as a tradition and to say thank you for the support during the Second World War 💚
This year we’ve picked out a 21 metre tall spruce, from one of the local forests around the capital city of Norway. It’s certainly lived a life, through harsh winters, stormy autumns and not specifically made to become a Christmas tree. It shows, how nature has shaped the tree during some 60 years 🌲
The tree needs to be slim, in order to be transported along the road, as well as on the ferry. The branches are tied closely to the stem before leaving the forest.
This is to ensure the tree doesn't extend too much, as there are width restrictions on the roads 🚧🚚
Still, we hope London will receive the tree still in good shape, after a long journey across the North Sea and on salty roads. We wish you all a merry and peaceful Christmas 🎄🎅
Norsk:
Førjulsgave fra Oslo til London 🎄🎅
En 21 meter høy gran fra Sørkedalen i Nordmarka er i november 2022 sendt over til Trafalgar Square. Treet er et symbol på fred og håp for fremtiden 🌲
Juletreet er vår måte å si takk for all hjelp under andre verdenskrig. I tillegg viser treet vennskapsbåndet mellom de to hovedstedene, og som ordfører Marianne Borgen sier i videoen: Byer trenger også venner! 💚
Når lysene tennes under seremonien 1. desember håper vi det gir julestemning, og blir en påminnelse om å bry oss om hverandre.
#trafalgarsquare #christmastree
Video by: Halvor Pritzlaff Njerve / Oslo kommune
Additional footage: Martin Myklebust, Arne M. Kittilsen and NRK