Trafalgar Square Christmas tree: The lighting ceremony and the story of a yearly gift from Oslo

Trafalgar Square’s Christmas tree is an annual gift from the Norwegian capital
Annual gift: A tree has been donated to London from Oslo since 1947
Getty Images
Ben Norum2 December 2016

You know Christmas is truly around the corner when Trafalgar Square takes a turn for the festive and London’s most prestigious Christmas tree is unveiled.

The lighting ceremony

This year the tree will be lit on December 1 at 6pm. No ticket is required, but it’s advisable to arrive early if you want a front row spot.

The story behind the tree

AFP/Getty Images

The tree, a Norway Spruce, is donated to London by Oslo in a tradition dating back to 1947. The annual gift is to show lasting gratitude for the support Britain gave Norway during the Second World War.

The tree is usually around 20 metres tall and between 50 and 60 years old and this will be the 69th tree given.

The performances

Following the lighting ceremony, there will be daily performances from carol singers around the base of the tree from 5-23 December.

Follow Ben Norum on Twitter @BenNorum

Follow Going Out on Facebook and on Twitter @ESgoingout

Create a FREE account to continue reading

eros

Registration is a free and easy way to support our journalism.

Join our community where you can: comment on stories; sign up to newsletters; enter competitions and access content on our app.

Your email address

Must be at least 6 characters, include an upper and lower case character and a number

You must be at least 18 years old to create an account

* Required fields

Already have an account? SIGN IN

By clicking Create Account you confirm that your data has been entered correctly and you have read and agree to our Terms of use , Cookie policy and Privacy policy .

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged in