What to Know
- The tree, an Engelmann Spruce about the size of two Metrobuses stacked on top of each other, was harvested from the Payette National Forest.
- It will begin its journey in its home state while making stops in communities along the route to the D.C.
- Speaker of the House Paul Ryan will light the tree during a ceremony on the West Front Lawn that will start at 5 p.m. Dec. 6.
The U.S. Capitol Christmas Tree will soon be embarking on a 2,000-mile journey from Idaho to Washington, D.C., to be the star of this year's Capitol Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony in December.
The tree, an Engelmann Spruce about the size of two Metrobuses stacked on top of each other, was harvested from the Payette National Forest near McCall, Idaho. It will begin its journey in its home state while making stops in communities along the route to the D.C., and is expected to reach the Capitol on the Monday after Thanksgiving.
"The Capitol Christmas Tree brings with it a spirit of community, and the start of the season of generosity and cheer," said Speaker of the House Paul Ryan in a press release Wednesday.
Ryan will light the tree during a ceremony on the West Front Lawn that will start at 5 p.m. Dec. 6.
But first, the Architect of the Capitol's Capitol Grounds team will secure the tree to the ground and decorate it with thousands of handcrafted ornaments from communities across Idaho.
Isabella Gerard, a fifth-grader from Boise, was randomly selected to help Ryan light the tree.
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The 80-foot tree is sponsored by the Idaho Congressional Delegation led by U.S. Sen. Mike Crapo.
"Along with Isabella, who will help light the tree, and handmade ornaments from communities across the state, the people of Idaho will collectively help usher in a holiday season of goodwill in our nation's capital," Crapo said in the release.
The annual lighting of the Capitol Christmas Tree has been a tradition for more than 50 years. The tree will be lit each night until Christmas from dusk until 11 p.m.
