Capitol Christmas Tree
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The Capitol Christmas Tree (formerly the Capitol Holiday Tree) is the decorated tree that is erected annually at the United States Capitol in Washington, D.C. to celebrate the Christmas holiday season.
A tree was first displayed in 1964, at the request of Speaker of the House John W. McCormack[1]. This first tree was a live Douglas-fir, purchased from a nursery. It was re-decorated for the next three Christmas seasons. After it died, white pines were cut down in Maryland and put on display for the 1968 and 1969 seasons. Beginning in 1970, trees have been provided by the U.S. Forest Service.
The Capitol Christmas Tree is traditionally lighted at 5:00pm EST on 9 December through to New Year's Day.
[edit] Trees
This list is incomplete; you can help by expanding it.
- 2007: 60-foot Balsam Fir from Green Mountain National Forest in Rutland, Vermont[2]
- 2006: 65-foot Pacific Silver Fir from Olympic National Forest in Washington[3]
- 2005: 80-foot Engelmann Spruce from the Santa Fe National Forest in Cuba, New Mexico[4]
- 2004: 70-foot Red Spruce from the George Washington National Forest in Highland County, Virginia[5]
- 2003: 70-foot Engelmann Spruce from the Boise National Forest in Idaho[1]
- 2002: 70-foot Douglas-fir from Oregon's Umpqua National Forest[6]
- 2001: 72-foot White Spruce from Ottawa National Forest in the western Upper Peninsula of Michigan[7]
- 2000: 65-foot Colorado Spruce from Colorado's Pike National Forest[8]
- 1999: 60-foot White Spruce from Wisconsin's Nicolet National Forest[9]
- 1998: 50-foot Fraser Fir from the Pisgah National Forest in western North Carolina[10]
- 1997: 63-foot Black Hills Spruce from the Black Hills National Forest in South Dakota[11]
- 1996: 75-foot Engelmann Spruce from the Manti-LaSal National Forest in Utah[12]
- 1995: 60-foot Douglas Fir from the Plumas National Forest in California[13]
- 1994: 58-foot Balsam Fir from the Green Mountain National Forest in Vermont[14]
- 1993: 65-foot White Fir from the San Bernardino National Forest in California[15]
- 1992: 62-foot White Spruce from the Chippewa National Forest in Minnesota[16]
- 1991: 60-foot Blue Spruce from the Carson National Forest in New Mexico[17]
- 1990: 65-foot Engelmann Spruce from the Routt National Forest in Colorado[18]
- 1989: 60-foot Engelmann Spruce from the Kootenai National Forest]] in Montana[19]
- 1988: 50-foot Balsam Fir from the Manistee National Forest in Michigan[20]
- 1987: 60-foot Norway Spruce from the Wayne-Hoosier National Forest in Ohio[21]
- 1986: 54-foot Shasta Red Fir from the Klamath National Forest in California[22]
- 1985: 56-foot White Spruce from the Ottawa National Forest in Michigan[23]
- 1984: 58-foot White Spruce from the Superior National Forest in Minnesota[24]
- 1983: 52-foot White Spruce from the Chequamegon National Forest in Wisconsin[25]
- 1982: 50-foot Balsam Fir from the Riley Bostwich Wildlife Management Area in Vermont[26]
- 1981: 50-foot White Spruce from the Hiawatha National Forest in Michigan[27]
- 1980: 48-foot White Spruce from the Green Mountain National Forest in Vermont[28]
- 1979: 52-foot White Spruce from the Nicolet National Forest in Wisconsin[29]
- 1978: 60-foot Norway Spruce from the Savage River State Forest in Maryland[30]
- 1977: 52-foot White Spruce from the Nemadji State Forest in Minnesota[31]
- 1976: 41-foot Red Spruce from the Monongahela National Forest in West Virginia[32]
- 1975: 41-foot Balsam Fir from the Ottawa National Forest in Michigan[33]
- 1974: 41-foot Fraser Fir from the Pisgah National Forest in North Carolina[34]
- 1973: 51-foot White Spruce from the Allegheny National Forest in Pennsylvania[35]
- 1972: 50-foot Balsam Fir from the Tennessee National Forest in Pennsylvania[36]
- 1971: 45-foot Black Spruce from the White Mountain National Forest in New Hampshire [37]
- 1970: 40-foot Norway Spruce from the Monongahela National Forest in West Virginia[1]
- 1969: 40-foot white pine from Westminster, Maryland[1]
- 1968: 30-foot "tree" assembled from two white pines from Finksburg, Maryland[1]
- 1964-7: live 24-foot Douglas-fir purchased from a nursery in Birdsboro, Pennsylvania[1]
[edit] Name controversy
In 1999, the Capitol Christmas Tree was renamed to the Capitol Holiday Tree. There was never an explanation as to why the name change occurred, but it raised controversy in the 2004 Christmas holiday season, and especially in 2005.[citation needed]
On 30 November 2005, the tree was renamed the Capitol Christmas Tree due to threats of legal action[citation needed] and complaints forwarded from a member of the Senate to Dennis Hastert.[citation needed]
[edit] References
- ^ a b c d e f Capitol Grounds Christmas Trees from the website of the Architect of the Capitol
- ^ Milford greets D.C.-bound yule tree - poconorecord.com - The Pocono Record
- ^ The 2006 Capitol Christmas Tree website
- ^ The 2005 Capitol Christmas Tree website
- ^ The 2004 Capitol Holiday Tree website
- ^ The 2002 Capitol Holiday Tree website
- ^ The 2001 Capitol Holiday Tree website
- ^ The 2000 Capitol Holiday Tree website
- ^ The 1999 Capitol Holiday Tree website
- ^ The 1998 Capitol Christmas Tree website
- ^ The AOC Capitol Grounds Christmas Trees website
- ^ The AOC Capitol Grounds Christmas Trees website
- ^ The AOC Capitol Grounds Christmas Trees website
- ^ The AOC Capitol Grounds Christmas Trees website
- ^ The AOC Capitol Grounds Christmas Trees website
- ^ The AOC Capitol Grounds Christmas Trees website
- ^ The AOC Capitol Grounds Christmas Trees website
- ^ The AOC Capitol Grounds Christmas Trees website
- ^ The AOC Capitol Grounds Christmas Trees website
- ^ The AOC Capitol Grounds Christmas Trees website
- ^ The AOC Capitol Grounds Christmas Trees website
- ^ The AOC Capitol Grounds Christmas Trees website
- ^ The AOC Capitol Grounds Christmas Trees website
- ^ The AOC Capitol Grounds Christmas Trees website
- ^ The AOC Capitol Grounds Christmas Trees website
- ^ The AOC Capitol Grounds Christmas Trees website
- ^ The AOC Capitol Grounds Christmas Trees website
- ^ The AOC Capitol Grounds Christmas Trees website
- ^ The AOC Capitol Grounds Christmas Trees website
- ^ The AOC Capitol Grounds Christmas Trees website
- ^ The AOC Capitol Grounds Christmas Trees website
- ^ The AOC Capitol Grounds Christmas Trees website
- ^ The AOC Capitol Grounds Christmas Trees website
- ^ The AOC Capitol Grounds Christmas Trees website
- ^ The AOC Capitol Grounds Christmas Trees website
- ^ The AOC Capitol Grounds Christmas Trees website
- ^ The AOC Capitol Grounds Christmas Trees website
