A 2,000-year-old giant sequoia tree in Kings Canyon National Park is America’s official Christmas tree, the only living shrine to the United States Military, and the legacy of an unknown little girl from 1924.
Not to be confused with the National Christmas Tree which is cut down and driven to the White House in DC every year, the Nation’s Christmas Tree (reported as between 1,750 and 3,000 years old) was designated by President Calvin Coolidge in 1926 after first being named for the great Union General and the 18th President of the United States, Ulysses S. Grant. Ever since I learned about it, it has been my talisman for the true spirit of the Christmas holidays.
With fires attacking the giant sequoias this year and rangers being forced to wrap some in foil for protection, I was eager to learn about the celebrations for 2021. I searched for it on the internet expecting it to pop right up with a lot of fanfare and was disappointed to find nothing.
Thankfully I have many friends in the park, and one responded promptly to my inquiry, informing me that while the National Park Service supports the event, it is mostly the Chamber of Commerce from nearby Sanger that puts on the annual event. It has been leading a celebration at the Nation’s Christmas Tree on the second Sunday in December since 1925.
It chilled me to learn that the only time the celebration was abandoned was when the world was at war against fascism (WWII) and 2020 when the world was at war against Covid-19. I’m taking it as a sign of our return to “normalcy” that the Tree welcomed back celebrants this year..
The history of the Nation’s Christmas tree has all the elements of science, mystery, magic, war, patriotism, and celebration that define our country. Here are some of the reasons:
– Originally believed to be the largest and oldest giant sequoia in the entire world, it was named to honor Union General Ulysses S. Grant in 1867 after his successful prosecution of the Civil War ending in 1865. (How shocked was I to learn that this same celebrated General in 1863 had tried to expel all Jewish people from the Department of Tennessee, an area which included parts of Tennessee, Kentucky, and Mississippi! Thankfully, once President Lincoln learned of that atrocity, he revoked the order.) In 1931 it was determined that the giant sequoia named for General Sherman in nearby Sequoia National Park was larger.
– In 1924, two prominent men, R.J. Senior and Charles E Lee of the Sanger Chamber of Commerce were visiting the park and stood gazing in wonderment at the 26-story high tree. A little girl ran up, similarly craning her neck to see the top of the tree and observed, “What a lovely Christmas tree that would be!” before running off. The idea stuck with the men, causing Mr. Lee to organize the first celebratory event at the tree in 1925. He wrote to President Calvin Coolidge proposing the idea for The Nation’s Christmas Tree, and in 1926 the President made it official. I wish I knew more about that little girl who had such a lasting impact on history.
– In 1956 President Dwight D. Eisenhower declared the Nation’s Christmas Tree as a Living Shrine to those who served and died in war, making it the only living memorial in the country. At the annual event the National Park Service places a wreath at its base in honor of our fallen heroes.
An early Park Superintendent Col. John White reportedly summed it up thus, “We are gathered here around a tree that is worthy of representing the spirit of America on Christmas Day. . .The tree is a pillar that is a testimony that things of the spirit transcend those of the flesh.”
Indeed!
So, although at this point in our evolution some Americans seem bent on creating discord and turn upon each other with savagery – I am grateful to know that this link from our past remains in all its stoic grandeur, continually recording the effect of human beings upon the world, keeping alive the Spirit of America.
I picture it calling us back to reality, “I’ve stood in this spot for thousands of years. I’ve known humans that behave better than you, and God willing, I will live to see humans once again who are more loving than you! Remember you are intended to be one nation, under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. Don’t lose sight of your history and your destiny.”
This holiday season, Frank and I underscore the message from our Nation’s Christmas Tree and wish you a joyful time, however you celebrate it! Here’s to another 2,000 years of a good life for our Christmas Tree and for our beloved country.
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