In early December each year since 1964, the Speaker of the House lights the Capitol Christmas Tree in a wonderful celebration of harmony and good will - that probably doesn't outlast the night! The first tree was a live tree, 24 feet tall, planted on the west lawn of the Capitol, but that tree died in 1968 after a severe wind storm. Since then, the US Department of Agriculture Forest Service supplies a tree to the Congress. This year's tree lighting looks a little different since the Capitol is undergoing repairs and the scaffolding adds a larger dimension to the gleaming white dome.
Thanks this year to the Chippewa National Forest which supplied the 2014 US Capitol Christmas Tree for a second time. The tree is an amazing 88 feet tall white spruce that was cut in late October and transported from Minnesota in a special truck built like a large humidor to keep the tree fresh. It made 30 stops on its way to Washington to let people see the tree. Now that it is in place in Washington, it is decorated with ornaments made by children from Minnesota. The Minnesota Tree Growers Association is providing companion trees to be placed in Congressional offices in Washington.
John Boehner, Speaker of the House, officially lit the tree on Tuesday evening at 5 pm. and it will remain lit each evening from dusk until 11 p.m. until January 1. The Capitol Christmas Tree is different from the National Christmas Tree which is a live tree planted near the White House. Each year the President lights that tree in a big celebration broadcast by the local tv stations.
Washington is a beautiful city at Christmas from the National Cathedral to the Smithsonian Museums to the National Christmas Tree on the Mall and the Capitol Tree. If you are planning to move to Washington, give the Lise Howe Group a call at 240-401-5577. I would love to show you my hometown and help you make it yours too! I love helping people settle into the Washington area, finding their perfect home.
If you want to start your search for a new home, check out this week's open houses in Washington right here.
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