Kids decorating the town Christmas tree

About this drawing

Kids decorating the tree in a town square capture a favorite part of the holidays in America: the community tree lighting, when neighbors gather to watch a giant evergreen glow for the first time.

The most famous example stands at Rockefeller Center in New York. The tradition began during the Great Depression, when construction workers put up a modest tree on the building site. Today a huge spruce is chosen each year, trucked into Manhattan, strung with thousands of lights and crowned with an enormous star, and the lighting is broadcast on national television.

Another well-known tree stands across the ocean in London's Trafalgar Square. Since 1947 the city of Oslo has sent a Norwegian spruce every year to thank Britain for its support during World War II. In keeping with Norwegian custom, it is decorated simply, with vertical strings of white lights.

Across the United States, smaller towns hold their own ceremonies, often with carols, hot cocoa and a countdown before the switch is flipped. Many invite local kids to help hang handmade ornaments, turning the town tree into a shared project that belongs to the whole community.

• christmas tree
• kids
• town square
• holiday decorating
• christmas