The National Christmas Tree

The Chrismologist's Advent Calendar - Day 9
American President Barack Obama and his family have turned on the lights for the US National Christmas Tree. The annual ceremony took place in Washington DC last Thursday.

The US national tree has been having a hard time recently - it's the third one in three years. Last year's died from the shock of being transplanted, and the tree before that was lost in a storm after standing for more than 30 years.

Mr Obama said, referring to his recent re-election: "It just goes to show, nobody's job is safe here in Washington."

Watch Neil Patrick Harris crash the vocal, as it were, here:

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To find out more about the Christmas tree and other Christmas traditions, pick up a copy of What is Myrrh Anyway? Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Christmas, published in the US as Christmas Miscellany.