Nearly 80-foot Christmas tree expected to arrive today at the U.S. Capitol - The Washington Post
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Nearly 80-foot Christmas tree expected to arrive today at the U.S. Capitol

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November 27, 2017 at 8:29 a.m. EST
A nearly 80-foot tall Christmas tree arrived on the morning of Nov. 27 at the grounds of the U.S. Capitol from Montana. (Video: The Washington Post)

A nearly 80-foot tall Christmas tree is set to arrive Monday at the grounds of the U.S. Capitol from Montana.

The annual tree-lighting ceremony at the Capitol will take place at 5 p.m. on Dec. 6.

The tradition of a Christmas tree there dates to the 1960s. In 1964, a 24-foot Douglas fir was bought for $700 from a nursery in Birdsboro, Pa., and placed on the West Front lawn. That tree died after a severe storm and root damage but the tradition of a tree on the Capitol grounds continued.

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The U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Service provides a tree each year from a different state. This year’s tree, an Engelmann Spruce, is 79 feet tall. It comes from the Kootenai National Forest in northwest Montana.

It is making the journey to the District on a truck, stopping in several cities along the way. The ornaments that will decorate the tree are handmade and come from different parts of Montana.

There is also a large Christmas tree in front of the White House.