Christmas tree from Alaska lights up the U.S. Capitol

Alaska Gov. Mike Dunleavy and the members of the state’s congressional delegation celebrated the lighting ceremony for this year’s U.S. Capitol Christmas Tree — which came from Alaska — on Tuesday in Washington, D.C.

This year’s tree, an 80-foot Sitka spruce, came from the Tongass National Forest. The only other Capitol Christmas Tree to come from Alaska was taken from the Chugach National Forest in 2015.

A fourth grader from Kenai, Rose Burke, also attended the ceremony alongside U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson.

“Just like Alaska, it is big and beautiful,” said Burke, who won the U.S. Capitol Christmas Tree Essay Contest.

Also present were members of the Wrangell Cooperative Association, who sang and gave a blessing to the tree as part of the ceremony.