The Trafalgar Square Christmas Tree Lights Up On 1 December

Will Noble
By Will Noble Last edited 15 months ago
The Trafalgar Square Christmas Tree Lights Up On 1 December
The tall tree aglow in Trafalgar Square
Less than a month till light-up. Image: Shutterstock

Trafalgar Square's famous Christmas tree will light up on Thursday 1 December at 5pm.

The mighty spruce — one of which has been gifted to us by Norway since 1947 — is now in place. An illumination/carol singing ceremony takes place at 5pm on the first day of December. (Speaking of Twitter accounts, the tree has its own — branded as "The official account of Britain’s national tree-sure".)

2022 marks the 75th year of London receiving a tree from Norway, as a thank you for its support during the second world war. A 20+ meter-tall spruce — usually over half a century old — is felled in a ceremony in Norway, before being shipped to the UK and driven to London.

A cucumber held out in front of the tree
Spot the difference. Image: Londonist

In recent years, London's gratitude for the prickly gift has been questionable: in 2019, people moaned that is looked more like a cucumber than a Christmas tree — a claim that we had to very scientifically investigate.

Last Updated 01 December 2022

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