On Thursday, December 6th, Londoners will gather in Trafalgar Square to celebrate the city’s 61st annual lighting of a majestic Norwegian Christmas tree. The Yuletide tradition stems back to 1947, when Norway first offered a massive tree as a symbol of their appreciation to Britain, who assisted them against Nazi occupation during the Second World War. Often described as “The Queen of Forest” by its Norwegian caretakers, a new tree is carefully selected for each holiday season (sometimes years in advance) from the forests that border Norway’s capital city of Oslo. The 70-foot-tall tree is decorated in traditional Norwegian fashion and topped with vertical strings of energy-efficient light bulbs, which will be lit by Norwegian Prime Minister, Jens Stoltenberg, and the Lord Mayor of Westminster, Councillor Carolyn Keen. The ceremony begins at 6:00pm, and will include bell ringing, carols sung by the Choir of St Martin-in-the-Fields and music by the Westminster Salvation Army band - a merrymaking celebration one shouldn’t miss.

Trafalgar Square Tree Lighting Ceremony: Trafalgar Square, Westminster, UK. 6:00pm, Free.