Capitol Christmas Tree to stop in Santa Claus, Ind., Monday

The U.S. Capitol Christmas Tree is so tall it would take ten Cody Zellers standing on each other’s shoulders to hang a shining star on the highest bough.

It is so heavy Santa would have to carry 60 Red Ryder BB Guns in his sleigh to make up the same amount of weight.

It would take 37 candy canes lined up end-to-end to stretch across the width of the base.

And this big, big tree is headed to the small, small town of Santa Claus, Ind., in Spencer County.
 
This is part of a cross-country road trip that is taking the tree from the Stanislaus National Forest in northern California to its home on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC.

The tree is making stops at military bases and other cities, but Santa Claus is by far the smallest stop on the tour.

A town of little more than 2,000 people, Santa Claus, Ind., is slightly larger than Whoville and barely smaller than Bedford Falls.

“Santa Claus, Ind., was the first stop we selected to be on this year’s tour,” 2011 U.S. Capitol Christmas Tree coordinator Maria Benech said in a prepared statement.

“We couldn’t pass up the opportunity to stop in a town named Santa Claus, and (we) moved our entire route north specifically to fit in Santa Claus.”

The tree is being transported in a double flatbed truck in a custom-built cradle that supports the tree without damaging it.

A rubber bladder, which will be filled daily with 60 gallons of fresh water, will surround its base.

Another semi-trailer full of ornaments and smaller trees, as well as 24-hour protection by federal law enforcement officials, accompany the tree on its eight-day excursion.

The tree will be encased in a plywood box that has a section of Plexiglas to allow visitors to see and smell the tree.

At 3:30 p.m. Monday, the whole caravan will be outside The Santa Claus Christmas Store in the Kringle Place Shopping Center during a special ceremony that will include hot chocolate and children’s activities.

The town has many Christmas-themed events during the holiday season starting with the visit of the Capitol tree.

The tree will arrive in Washington, DC a week from today and will be lit in a ceremony with Speaker of the House John Boehner and a Congressional delegation from California.

— Charles Scudder