10 Strange Things You Never Knew About Christmas

By Andy Scott /

8. Christmas Trees: Britain Gets One Off Norway Every Year!

That€™s right the €˜Queen of the Forest€™ as she€™s lovingly called by the Norwegian Foresters, is a Norwegian Spruce usually between 20 €“ 25m / 70ft and the pride of the forests surrounding Oslo. Since 1947 a tree of this pedigree has been sent every year to be put up in Trafalgar Square as a gift for services rendered by Britain during the Second World War. During the war the Norwegian Government in exile worked out of London and that very same city became a beacon of hope for millions of suffering Norwegians due to its radio broadcasts in Norwegian which even aided the resistance movement there. It€™s cut down in a ceremony featuring the Mayor of London, the Mayor of Oslo and a boatload of Carols, €˜Forest Coffee€™ and cake. Because nothing signifies mutual friendship like coffee and cake.