Vatican Christmas Tree facts for kids
The Vatican Christmas Tree, also known as the Saint Peter's Square Christmas Tree, is a beautifully decorated tree put up every year in St. Peter's Square in Vatican City. It stands right in front of St. Peter's Basilica to celebrate the Christmas and holiday season.
The idea of having a Christmas tree and a life-size Nativity scene in St. Peter's Square began in 1982. This tradition was started by Pope John Paul II. He was from Poland, where Christmas trees were a common symbol of the holiday spirit. At that time, Christmas trees were not a tradition in the Vatican.
The very first tree came from Italy. Since then, it has become a special honor for a country or region to donate the Christmas Tree to the Pope. Each year, a different European country or area provides the tree.
The Christmas tree is placed in the middle of Saint Peter's Square. Next to it is a life-size nativity scene, which is shown for the first time on Christmas Eve. This nativity scene has seventeen life-size statues. Nine of these are original figures from 1842, given by Saint Vincent Pallotti. The other eight figures were added over the years. In 2006, the Trentino region of Italy and the village of Tesero added thirteen more carved wooden figures and animals, plus items showing daily life.
Contents
The Vatican's Christmas Trees: A Global Gift
Every year, a different country or region donates the huge Christmas tree for the Vatican. This makes the tree a symbol of unity and sharing from all over Europe. These trees are often very tall and old, sometimes over 100 years old!
How the Trees are Chosen and Decorated
The trees come from places like Italy, Slovenia, Germany, Poland, Ukraine, Belgium, and Austria. They are usually Spruce or Fir trees. Many of these trees come from forests that are managed in a sustainable way. This means new trees are planted to replace the ones that are cut down.
The trees are decorated with special lights and ornaments. For example, in 2016, the tree was lit with 18,000 LED lights. Its ceramic ornaments were made by children in Italian hospitals who were being treated for cancer and other illnesses. This shows how the tree can bring hope and joy.
Notable Trees and Their Stories
- 2021 Tree: This 28-meter tall tree came from Andalo, Italy. It used energy-saving LED lights. The tree was a gift from the Trentino region and had 600 wooden decorations made by local artists.
- 2020 Tree: A 30-meter spruce from Kočevje, Slovenia, which was 75 years old.
- 2011 Tree: A 30-meter spruce from Zakarpattia Oblast, Ukraine. It had over 700 branches and was decorated with 2,500 silver and gold ornaments.
- 2009 Tree: A 30-meter Norway Spruce from the Ardennes forests in Belgium. It was 90 years old and weighed 14 tons! It was decorated with 2,000 gold and silver bulbs and 1,500 lights. Two children from Belgium helped turn on the lights.
- 2003 Tree: A 32-meter spruce from Pré-Saint-Didier, Italy. This tree was a gift from the Valle D'Aosta region, where Pope John Paul II often spent his summer vacations.
Images for kids
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Vatican Christmas Tree. Christmas Day 2007.
See also
- Index of Vatican City-related articles
- List of individual trees
In Spanish: Árbol de Navidad del Vaticano para niños
