City Christmas tree ruined by storm
The Christmas tree from Oslo is broken and Mayor Dagur Eggertsson is calling for solutions to the problem. mbl.is/Ómar Óskarsson
Mayor Dagur B.Eggertsson has asked the public for ideas on how to "Save Christmas" in a facebook post today as the Christmas tree, an annual present from the city of Oslo to the citizens of Reykjavik was broken in the storm.
According to Bjarni Brynjúlfsson, press offcer at the City of Reykjavik the top of the tree has broken off and it is quite damaged. It is not clear whether the tree can be fixed in some way or whether it will have to be replaced.
The tree was set to be lit yesterday in a traditional ceremony in Austurvöllur in the city centre,a ceremony that was postponed due to the storm.
According to Brynjúlfsson, a decision on the Christmas tree will be reached today as the lighting ceremony is to take place next Sunday.
Lots of people have come up with ideas on the Mayor's facebook page. Some people think that the tree should still be put up in Austurvöllur as a friendly reminder of Iceland's unpredictable weather and some think it might offend Norwegians if it's thrown away. Others come up with inventive repair solutions and some even offer trees from their own gardens instead.
Other solutions include putting up the IKEA goat in Austurvöllur square or replacing the top of the tree with the MP5 machine guns which were received (and sent back) from Norway.
This is not the first trauma to occur to the Oslo tree. In 2009, protestors at Austurvöllur burned it down.
Update at 12:45: Mayor Dagur B.Eggertsson will cut down a fir tree today at Rauðavatn accompanied by a representative from the Norwegian embassy. The tree will be cut down at 14.15 and will replace the Oslo tree which was considered too badly damaged by the storm. Rauðavatn is a lake on the outskirts of Reykjavik and the home of many fir trees. The new tree will be lit at a ceremony at Austurvöllur on Sunday December 7th.
