As the Christmas season has just been officially inaugurated in London with the placing of the tree in Trafalgar Square, Kevin Vella finds out all about the Juletre’s journey from Norway to the UK.

“Christmas trees are big drinkers,” said Ashbjorn Hjerten, resting on his axe.

“The best way to keep them healthy and happy is to feed them with iced lemon juice. And a double brandy. They appreciate that. It makes them glow.”

London has its School of Economics. Oslo has its School of Conifers. Norwegian lumberjacks make the best tree teachers, and Hjerten is the headteacher. His job is to select the best ‘Juletre’ to send to London.

The Juletre Christmas tree is an annual present from the city of Oslo to the city of Westminster. It’s the Christmas tree which lights up Trafalgar Square.

The first Christmas tree was sent as a gift in 1947 as a token of Norwegian appreciation of British friendship, support and assistance during the World War II. When Norway was invaded on April 9, 1940, King Haakon V11 escaped to Britain and a Norwegian exile government sat in London.

They were offered eight rooms in the Cornhill building. In the main hall of Oslo’s Radhaus or city hall , there are deck planks and the naval flag from the HMS Devonshire, which brought the king from Tromso to England on June 7, 1940.

By May 1945 there were 400,000 Germans occupying their country.

The Trafalgar Square Christmas tree has be-come a symbol of the close and warm relation- ship between the peoples of Norway and Britain.

What begins every November in a usually, cold wet wood outside Oslo always ends in the New Year in the hands of happy children across Britain

Anyone can attend the annual tree felling ceremony in the Ostmarka wood reserve, east of the Norwegian capital – which is what I did. And, if you miss it, you can be shown the trees earmarked for future worldwide fame. The local woodsmen are proud of their trees and happy to extol their virtues. They are spruce businessmen.

After a few self-deprecatory remarks about his upper body strength and comments pre-empting references to politicians’ penchant for cutting things, the Lord Mayor of Westminster joined the Ambassador to Norway in a very short amount of intensive sawing, before leaving the tree to be toppled by professional lumberjack , Lasse Henriksen. Traditionally, a symbolic two-handed kapaza saw is used.

The 65-year-old, one-and-a-half ton Norwegian spruce was swung onto a waiting lorry by the crane driver, Rolf. He has been at the start of the tree’s epic journey for 20 years. The tree-felling ceremony takes place every November.

“It’s probably the most famous and expensive tree in the world,” said Lasse. “The Trafalgar Square tree is usually around 21 metres high. It’s a great honour to be part of such an important tradition. The same team is always involved. We are a family. The tree symbolises Anglo-Norwegian ties.”

Norway also provides Christmas trees to Rotterdam (the first in 1951), Iceland (1981), Antwerp (1987) and Washington (1997).

The American tree which stands in Grand Union Station comes from trees originally planted by Norwegian settlers in Iowa. Around it run toy trains with Oslo written on them.

Trafalgar Square Tree being transported from Norway to Britain.

The Hordaland County in Norway sends a tree every year to Edinburgh. Bergen sends one to Newcastle. The city of Trondheim one to the city of Hamburg.

Christmas trees only became popular in Norway in the late 19th century. The custom is probably a German or Swiss import. The first public outdoor tree was erected in Oslo’s University Square in 1919 by the Salvation Army, although many believed singing under the tree was blasphemous. Juletre is named after the month of Jesus’s birthday.

As pupils of Oslo’s International School sang carols, the Trafalgar Square tree was secured in position for its 12-day journey to London by the six-man Friluftsetaten forestry workers led by Einar Arnes. It takes three hours to tie the tree to the lorry.

“The Trafalgar Square tree is earmarked 25 years in advance,” said Einar. “A Christmas tree should last 40 days if it is well looked after.”

It was Prince Albert who popularised Christmas trees in the UK. In 1841 he brought a tree over from Germany and set it up in Windsor Castle.

“Picea abies is the best! Norwegian is best,” smiled one of Asbjorn’s gang. “Not Nordman. Never blue spruce.” He paused and frowned sternly. He wagged his finger. “Never artifical.” He shook his head, emphasising the point.

In answer to the obvious question, another of the felling team told me that when choosing a tree you should pick it up in one hand. It should be heavy. If it’s not, it’s probably dehydrated and sickly. The needles should look green and healthy. But the brandy is the secret.

The Trafalgar Square Christmas tree has become a symbol of the close and warm relationship between the peoples of Norway and Britain

“The more branches it has, the better,” he laughed, looking at the tree en route to London. “Give it a shake. The leaves should stay on. If they fall off, move on.”

The Trafalgar Square-bound tree was then driven to Oslo harbour and shipped free across the North Sea to Immingham near Hull. The voyage takes two days.

Until 1999 the tree used to arrive in Felixstowe. The tree was then driven to London, along with a smaller tree for the Norwegian Embassy. Smaller trees accompany the two main trees to dissuade thieves from taking cuttings and cutting off the top of the big tree as they did one year. In 1966 a freak wind snapped the top eight foot off one tree.

After an extra-large star was fixed to the top, London’s tallest celebrity was lifted into position by a 20-tonne crane and sunk in a deep pit between the square’s two fountains. Eight clamps hold the tree in place. Sometimes, the tree has to be shaved. Moreover, it needs to be officially pronounced vertical before the decoration begins.

Photo: Beck and Pollitzer

The tree is decorated every year with 500 25-watt white lamps with gauge wire along five 105-metre cables and new lights are bought every year. The Mayor of Oslo always switches on the tree and there have never been any hitches reported, so far.

The Trafalgar Square Juletre is taken down on Twelfth Night. This year, as every year, the branches and pine needles will be mulched. The trunk will then be cut up and taken to Wales and made into toys which will be sold for charity.

What begins every November in an usually, cold wet wood outside Oslo always ends in the New Year in the hands of happy children across Britain.