A celebration will begin at 5 p.m. Tuesday in Charleston to send a Norway spruce felled from the Monongahela National Forest in West Virginia to Washington, D.C., where it will be the 2023 U.S. Capitol Christmas Tree. (Photo Provided)
CHARLESTON — A celebration will be held at 5 p.m. Tuesday in the lawn of the Capitol grounds in Charleston to send off the Norway spruce from the Monongahela National Forest in West Virginia to Washington, D.C., where it will be the 2023 U.S. Capitol Christmas Tree.
“It is a celebration of all the great greatness our forests have in this incredible state,” Gov. Jim Justice said.
The 63-foot tree was felled in the Greenbrier Ranger District in Randolph County. It will be the first time since 1976 a tree from West Virginia was chosen.
“We’re going to send it off to the United States Capitol,” Justice said during the Wednesday press briefing with reporters. “It will be an incredible day.”
Five marching bands are planned at the event, according to Justice. The celebration will start with a parade and include family-friendly activities including ice skating and a light display on the Capitol lawn.
The celebration, free and open to the public, starts at 5 p.m. when the spruce makes its way west on Kanawha Boulevard to the steps of the Capitol, led by bands from Cabell Midland, Capitol, George Washington, Nitro, Poca and Saint Albans high schools.
Vendors will be set up along the boulevard where activities including ice skating, cookie decorating, letters to Santa, light displays, a bonfire to roast s’more and winter sport giveaways will be available among others.
The U.S. Forest Service will have a banner people can sign for the U.S. Capitol Christmas Tree.
In September, the Monongahela National Forest announced the Christmas Tree has been named “wa’feem’tekwi,” phonetically pronounced ‘wa thame tech we,’ by the Shawnee Tribe. The agency asked the Shawnee Tribe to name the tree as part of the ongoing celebration of the U.S. Capitol Christmas tree initiative and to honor the agency’s nation-to-nation relationship with the Shawnee Tribe.
“On behalf of Monongahela National Forest, I’d like to thank the Shawnee Tribe for naming this special tree. Names are important and ‘wa’feem’tekwi’ reminds us of our connection to the Shawnee Tribe and the importance of our mutual relationship,” said Shawn Cochran, forest supervisor for Monongahela National Forest.”
The Monongahela National Forest has provided the U.S. Capitol Christmas tree from West Virginia three times, Cochran said. It will be the first time since 1976 a tree came from the 921,000 acre forest.
Among state officials at Tuesday’s celebration will be Chelsea Ruby, secretary of West Virginia Tourism.
“With such a large portion of our visitors coming from the Washington, D.C., metro area, we are thrilled with yet another opportunity to showcase the beauty of our great state,” Ruby said.
After Charleston, the tree will continue to other locations in West Virginia and will be erected on the West Lawn of the Capitol in Washington where the Architect of the Capitol will decorate it with ornaments and tree skirts handmade from West Virginians, the Forest Service said. The Christmas Tree will be on display to the public in December.
