As reported earlier, Palmyra husband and wife Lin Ly and Kimleang Sour recently donated the thirty foot Colorado blue spruce that had sat in their Forge Road front yard since 2003 to the nation. Now, it looms over the Ellipse, just in front of the White House, as the National Christmas Tree.
The tree was officially lit on the evening of Dec. 5 at a ceremony hosted by President and First Lady Donald and Melania Trump.
The President’s remarks at the lighting event are viewable here. President Trump noted at the ceremony that the first National Christmas Tree was lit in 1923 by President Calvin Coolidge.
The Ly family was present as invited guests of the National Park Service and were given a White House tour earlier in the day.
Also attending were a group of neighbors and former owners of the tree whose enthusiasm so impressed NPS employees that they were dubbed “Team Palmyra.”
The popularity of the National Christmas Tree is undeniable. It even has its own Twitter account with thousands of followers.
The previous tree was planted in 2012 and likely would have lived to see many more holiday seasons, had it not been damaged by storms and vandalism. So with a little luck, Palmyra’s contribution to the nation’s Christmas observance should be on display for many years to come.
Here’s wishing it a long and healthy life.
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