The 58th annual lighting of the Capitol Christmas Tree, also known as the People’s Tree, will take place in a ceremony on the West Front Lawn of the Capitol on Tuesday evening.
The 2022 tree, a red spruce named Ruby, stands 78 feet tall and comes from Pisgah National Forest in North Carolina. The U.S. Forest Service has provided the conifer at the heart of this spectacle each year since 1970, when the Architect of the Capitol first enlisted the support of the branch of the Department of Agriculture.
There will be a quiet poignancy behind this year’s lighting, following the death of Rep. Donald McEachin (D-Va.) on Monday night. The U.S. Capitol flags have been ordered to fly at half-staff, as have those of the White House.
The lighting ceremony is at 5 p.m. ET.
Watch live video of the event above.