The 40th Christmas tree to light up the season hails from the Trentino region, where it was chosen in line with the Vatican’s policies for sustainability and respect for the environment.
Weighing a staggering eight tonnes, the tree will be adorned with 600 wooden decorations, handcrafted by Andalo artisans, and the Vatican will illuminate it with a low-energy consumption LED electric system.
The tree’s lights will be switched on during a ceremony at 5:00 pm on Friday, December 10, when the Christmas crib in St Peter’s Square will also be inaugurated.
This year’s nativity scene has been donated to the Vatican by Peruvian authorities and pays tribute to an ancient Andean indigenous people and culture.
It will feature 30 life-sized figurines dressed in Andean costumes in what is the Vatican’s first crib to come from the Americas.
After being unveiled, the tree and nativity scene will remain on display to the public until Sunday, January 9, 2022.
The tradition of displaying a Christmas tree in St Peter’s Square began in 1982, under the initiative of Pope Saint John Paul II.
The first tree came from Italy; since then, the offering of a Christmas tree to the pope has become an honour, and each year the Vatican accepts a tree donated by a different European country or region.
