A Gift from the Nogs

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wolfy
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Joined: Sep 13, 2004
Posts: 2510

Posted: Dec 05, 2007 - 02:08 PM
Post subject: A Gift from the Nogs

From Norway with love: the tale of the Trafalgar Christmas tree

When German troops besieged Norway in 1940, it wasn’t long before the neutral country, ill-equipped for such an intense struggle, surrendered to the Nazi war machine. Its royal family, government and various defence chiefs fled to London, where they established a government in exile. For almost five years Norway’s leaders were given refuge while its soldiers fought alongside the British and a lasting friendship was forged.

From these events the tradition of the Norwegian spruce in Trafalgar Square was born. Every year since 1947 the people of Oslo have given a tree, hand-picked months or even years in advance for its stature, majesty and vigour, to the city of London, in recognition of that special relationship. Towering up to 25 metres high and between 50 and 100 years old, the tree is decorated with simple white lights, representing the candles traditionally used by Norwegians for decoration.

Fondly described by the woodsmen who care for it as “the queen of the forest,” the tree is felled one day in November in a special ceremony, in which the Lord Mayor of Westminster, the British Ambassador to Norway and the Mayor of Oslo take active part. Usually the first snow has already fallen, illuminating the usually pitch black forest, while the singing of schoolchildren from nearby Oslo and around the world pierces the silence.

The tree is shipped free of charge across the North Sea to Immingham by DFDS Tor Line, before being hauled from the docks to Trafalgar Square by a special crew. It takes several hours to erect the tree, which is winched up through scaffolding into the place reserved for it each year. The base of its trunk sunk four feet into the ground and secured by wooden wedges, the tree requires no other support, standing freely as it did in the forest.

Thousands of onlookers attend the lighting ceremony on the first Thursday of December, led by the Lord Mayor of Westminster. A band plays and a choir sings carols, before, at the flick of a switch, the tree is transformed into a tower of elegantly twinkling lights. This magical scene remains in place until January 4, just before the Twelfth Night of Christmas, when the tree is taken down and recycled.

During the war London came to represent hope and freedom for the millions remaining in occupied Norway, who listened to the latest war news broadcast in Norwegian from London, along with a message and information network which became vital to the resistance movement. Now the tree stands as a symbol of those very same qualities, as relevant to the world today as they were 60 years ago.

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Newcastle receives a Christmas tree from Bergen every Christmas in a similar gesture, it has strong links with Western Norway. During WW2 my great uncle fought at the Batle of Otta as part of Operation Sickleforce, which was one of the British attempts in Norway to stop the Nazi invasion in 1940.

Also during WW2 the Tyne became home port for the Danish Merchant Navy, when their country was occupied and ships out at sea could not return to their home. There is a large memorial to Danish Seamen who lost their lives in St Nicholas Cathedral in Newcastle.

Nick, Newcastle, UK