Editing Christmas tree (section)

====Public Christmas trees====
[[File:Bundesarchiv Bild 102-12787, Prag, Weihnachtsfeier für Erwerbslose.jpg|thumb|upright|An early example of public Christmas tree for the children of unemployed parents in [[Prague]] ([[Czech Republic]]), 1931]]

Since the early 20th century, it has become common in many cities, towns, and department stores to put up public Christmas trees outdoors, such as the [[Macy's Great Tree]] in [[Atlanta]] (since 1948), the [[Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree]] in New York City, and the large Christmas tree at [[Victoria Square, Adelaide|Victoria Square]] in [[Adelaide]].

The use of fire retardant allows many indoor public areas to place real trees and be compliant with code. Licensed applicants of fire retardant solution spray the tree, tag the tree, and provide a certificate for inspection.

The United States' [[National Christmas Tree (United States)|National Christmas Tree]] has been lit each year since 1923 on the [[South Lawn]] of the [[White House]], becoming part of what evolved into a major holiday event at the White House. President [[Jimmy Carter]] lit only the crowning star atop the tree in 1979 in honor of the Americans being [[Iran hostage crisis|held hostage in Iran]].<ref name="npspp">{{cite web |url=http://www.nps.gov/whho/historyculture/lighting-of-the-national-christmas-tree-history.htm |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080115224842/http://www.nps.gov/whho/historyculture/lighting-of-the-national-christmas-tree-history.htm |archive-date=15 January 2008 |title=Lighting of the National Christmas Tree |publisher=[[National Park Service]] |access-date=5 April 2009 }}</ref> This was repeated in 1980, except the tree was fully lit for 417 seconds, one second for each day the hostages had been in captivity.<ref name="npspp"/>

During most of the 1970s and 1980s, the largest decorated Christmas tree in the world was put up every year on the property of the ''[[National Enquirer]]'' in [[Lantana, Florida]]. This tradition grew into one of the most spectacular and celebrated events in the history of southern Florida, but was discontinued on the death of the paper's founder in the late 1980s.<ref>{{cite web |title=Flashback Blog: The World's Largest Decorated Christmas Tree |work=[[The Palm Beach Post]] |date=3 December 2009 |url=http://www.historicpalmbeach.com/flashback/2009/12/the-worlds-largest-decorated-christmas-tree |access-date=4 March 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091205193345/http://www.historicpalmbeach.com/flashback/2009/12/the-worlds-largest-decorated-christmas-tree/ |archive-date=5 December 2009 }}</ref>

In some cities, a charity event called the [[Festival of Trees]] is organized, in which multiple trees are decorated and displayed.

The giving of Christmas trees has also often been associated with the end of hostilities. After the signing of the [[Armistice with Germany|Armistice]] in 1918, the city of [[Manchester]], England, sent a tree, and £500 to buy chocolate and cakes, for the children of the much-bombarded town of [[Lille]] in northern France.<ref>'Manchester's Gift To Lille{{nbsp}}... (FROM G. WARD PRICE.)' ''The Times'' (London, England),21 December 1918, p.7</ref>

In some cases, the trees represent special commemorative gifts, such as in [[Trafalgar Square]] in [[London]], where the City of [[Oslo]], [[Norway]], presents a tree to the people of London as a token of appreciation for the British support of [[Norwegian resistance]] during [[World War II]]; in [[Boston]], United States, where the tree is a gift from the province of [[Nova Scotia]], in thanks for rapid deployment of supplies and rescuers to the 1917 [[Halifax Explosion|ammunition ship explosion]] that leveled the city of [[Halifax (former city)|Halifax]]; and in [[Newcastle upon Tyne]], England, where the main civic Christmas tree is an annual gift from the city of [[Bergen]], Norway, in thanks for the part played by soldiers from Newcastle in liberating Bergen from [[Nazism|Nazi]] occupation.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.newcastle.gov.uk/core.nsf/a/twintownbergen |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070425202440/http://www.newcastle.gov.uk/core.nsf/a/twintownbergen |archive-date=25 April 2007 |title=Town twinning: Bergen, Norway |publisher=[[Newcastle upon Tyne|Newcastle City Council]] }}</ref> Norway also annually gifts a Christmas tree to [[Washington, D.C.]], as a symbol of friendship between Norway and the US and as an expression of gratitude from Norway for the help received from the US during [[World War II]].<ref>{{cite news |title=DC: Christmas Tree Lighting at Union Station |url=http://www.norway.org/News_and_events/Christmas-2012/DC-Christmas-Tree-Lighting-at-Union-Station/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121209100844/http://www.norway.org/News_and_events/Christmas-2012/DC-Christmas-Tree-Lighting-at-Union-Station/ |archive-date=9 December 2012 |publisher=[[Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Norway)|Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs]] |access-date=2 December 2012 }}</ref>

===== Gallery =====
<gallery class="center" heights="150" caption="Public Christmas trees around the world">
File:Vatican Christmas Tree.jpg|Christmas tree in [[Vatican City]].
File:Galleria Vittorio Emanuele ii Xmas (J).jpg|Christmas tree at [[Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II]] in [[Milan]], Italy.
File:Piazza Portanova Natale 2008.jpg|Christmas tree in [[Salerno]] old town, Italy.
File:Natal 2009 em Catania - 1 (4200097689).jpg|Christmas tree in [[Catania]], Italy.
File:Vilnius Christmas Tree.jpg|Christmas tree in [[Vilnius]] old town, [[Lithuania]].
File:Trafalgar Square Christmas tree9.jpg|[[Trafalgar Square Christmas tree]], London, United Kingdom.
File:LEDs on a big Christmas Tree 4572.jpg|Christmas tree front of the [[Turku Cathedral]] in [[Turku]], [[Finland]].
File:Weihnachtsbaum Römerberg.jpg|Christmas tree on the [[Römerberg (Frankfurt)|Römerberg]] in [[Frankfurt]], Germany.
File:Budapest, Erzsébet körút 43-49, Corinthia, karácsonyfa, 3.jpg|Christmas tree in [[Budapest]], Corinthia Hotel
File:Christmas Lisbon 2005 b.JPG|[[Lisbon]], Portugal, {{convert|75|m|abbr=off}} Christmas tree.
File:Plaza de San Juan de la Cruz (Madrid) 07.jpg|An illuminated Christmas tree in Madrid.
File:Choinka plac Zamkowy 2011.jpg|Christmas tree in [[Warsaw]], [[Poland]].
File:Stockholm - NK.jpg|Christmas tree in [[Stockholm]] at the [[Nordiska Kompaniet|NK]] department store
File:Christmas tree in Lugano (2018).jpg|Christmas tree in [[Lugano]], Switzerland.
File:New Year Tree on the Minin and Pozharsky Square 04.jpg|Christmas tree on [[Minin and Pozharsky Square]]. [[Nizhny Novgorod]], [[Russia]]
File:Christmas tree city lights.jpg|Christmas tree, Plaza, Las Cruces, New Mexico, US
File:Christmas Tree at Rockefeller Center IV.jpg|[[Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree]], New York City, New York, US
File:2010 Boston Halifax Christmas tree on Boston Common USA 5273771973.jpg|[[Boston Christmas Tree|Official Christmas Tree]] of Boston Massachusetts, US.
File:Christmas tree and Metropolitan Cathedral at Mexico's City zócalo.jpg|Christmas tree and Metropolitan Cathedral at Mexico City's zócalo.
File:San Martín Sacatepéquez 25.JPG|Christmas tree in [[San Martín Sacatepéquez]], [[Guatemala]].
File:Decoração de natal em São Vicente de Minas (3).jpg|Christmas tree in the Praça Governador Valadares, [[Brazil]].
File:Árbol de navidad y pesebre en la Casa Rosada - 2014.jpg|Christmas tree above Nativity installed at [[Casa Rosada]], [[Argentina]].
File:貴賓樓前聖誕樹 - panoramio.jpg|Christmas tree in [[Beijing]], [[China]].
File:HK TST night Harbour City front entrance indoor stairs interior Xmas trees Nov-2013.JPG|Christmas trees in Ocean Terminal, Harbour City, [[Hong Kong]]
File:Christmas tree, Bethlehem.jpg|Christmas tree in Bethlehem, Palestine, behind it [[Church of the Nativity]].
File:ET Bahir Dar asv2018-02 img01 Christmas tree.jpg|Christmas tree in [[Bahir Dar]], [[Ethiopia]]
File:2018 Christmas at the Vank Cathedral 08.jpg|Christmas tree at the [[Vank Cathedral]], [[Iran]].
File:Christmas tree on display in Delray Beach, Florida on Atlantic Avenue.jpg|'''Christmas tree in [[Delray Beach, Florida]] on [[Atlantic Avenue (Delray Beach)|Atlantic Avenue]] in 2023'''
File:Capistrano christmas tree.jpg|Decorative walk-through Christmas tree at [[Mission San Juan Capistrano]] festival, [[Southern California]], December 2023
File:Las_Vegas_Aria_Christmas_Tree.jpg|Las Vegas [[Aria Resort and Casino|Aria]] Lobby Christmas Tree
</gallery>