WILMINGTON, NC (WWAY) -- At Wednesday night's Wilmington City Council meeting, Council decided to stop the city's annual lighting of the World's Largest Living Christmas Tree.
The ceremony will be moved from the old tree at the Sweeney water plant to the Rotary Wheel at Greenfield Lake. The city says the old oak tree is no longer capable of holding lights.
The move would also mean a larger celebration coordinated by the rotary club beginning next year.
"I think that's a tremendous community effort and humanitarian effort on behalf of all of our people and I think it's going to be a great thing in the future so a new tradition begins," Mayor Bill Saffo said.
This year, the downtown Christmas tree on Water Street will be lit as well as a cedar at the Rotary Wheel.
Something's are worth speaking up for
I would like to know what efforts the city has put into saving this tree. I am 44 years old and it has been a part of our Christmas tradition all my life. I live in TN now and for 26 years I've traveled to NC to see this tree. The last year that Santa was there we were able to leave earlier enough to get there and take pictures of my kids with him. I'm grateful for the memories and would love to be able to continue making them. The World's Largest Living Christmas Tree is not something that you can just replace. We live in a society that believes new is better and we forsake the things that have brought us to where we are. Wilmington don't give up on your history, your heritage - what can you do to try and save this one?
Tree Guestbook
Will the tree's guestbook (or books) be on view at the Cape Fear Museum? A lot of memories in there for Wilmingtonians.
Funny...I never thought of an oak tree...
as a Christmas Tree. It's just an oak tree with a lot of lights.
That Blows!
That Blows!