Wisconsin State Capitol Holiday Tree facts for kids
The Wisconsin State Capitol Holiday Tree is a special decorated pine tree. It stands inside the Wisconsin State Capitol building in Madison, Wisconsin. This tree is decorated with unique ornaments made by school children from all over Wisconsin. Each year, there's a different theme for the ornaments. For example, in 2019, the theme was "Science."
The tree is on display during the whole winter holiday season. This fun tradition started way back in 1916 and is still happening today!
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History of the Capitol Tree
The tradition of having a decorated tree at the Wisconsin State Capitol began in 1916. Every year since then, the Department of Administration, which helps manage the Capitol building, has been in charge of setting up and decorating the tree.
How the Tradition Started
When the tree tradition began in 1916, it was known as the Wisconsin State Capitol Christmas Tree. It quickly became a beloved part of the holiday season for people visiting the Capitol.
Name Changes Over Time
Over the years, the tree's name has changed a few times. From 1916 to 1985, it was called the Christmas Tree. Then, from 1985 to 2011, it was known as the Holiday Tree. This change was made to include all the different winter holidays celebrated by people in Wisconsin.
Later, from 2011 to 2019, it went back to being called the Christmas Tree. But since 2019, it has been known as the Holiday Tree again. No matter the name, the main idea stays the same: it's a beautiful tree celebrating the winter season.
Decorating the Tree
A really cool part of this tradition is how the tree gets decorated. School children from all across Wisconsin create special ornaments. These ornaments follow a new theme chosen each year. This makes the tree a true community project and a showcase of young artists' talents.
