In the fine tradition of Nordic countries sending Christmas trees to each other, Iceland will be sending one of its own to the Faroe Islands.
Vísir reports that Reykjavík Mayor Dagur B. Eggertsson felled the tree himself, after receiving proper training on the use of a chainsaw and getting outfitted right for the task. The tree in question is 12m Sitka spruce, and is estimated to be 50 years old.
City council President Sóley Tómasdóttir will officially deliver the tree to the Faroese later in this month, in the Faroe Islands capital of Torshavn. This will mark the second time the City of Reykjavík and the Reykjavík Forestry Association send a Christmas tree to the Faroe Islands.
While Iceland is not exactly known for its abundance of trees, the Christmas tree donation is comparable to the Norwegian practice of sending a tree to Iceland.
The Oslo Tree, as it is often called, is typically raised in Austurvöllur, in front of parliament. Icelanders received a scare earlier this year when Norwegian authorities said it would be too expensive to send a tree this year. The outcry was such that the Oslo Business Council re-assessed the situation, and decided to send a tree after all.
Oslo mayor Fabian Stang said at the time that he had not taken into consideration how popular the Norwegian Christmas tree was amongst Icelanders, adding, “Icelanders also don’t have Christmas trees that are as good as we thought they had.”
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