The Kennedy Center on Wednesday night hosted its first-ever official Christmas tree lighting ceremony. NTD's Sam Wang was there to speak to the institution's president, Ric Grenell, about the brand new holiday tradition.
at the Kennedy Center last night hosting
its first ever official Christmas tree
lighting ceremony. Entity Sam Wong was
there to speak with the institution's
president, Richard Grenell, about the
brand new holiday tradition.
>> Five, four, three.
>> With the flip of a switch,
>> the Kennedy Center's first official
Christmas tree was glistening.
The hall of states illuminated with
cheers and Christmas tunes as families
gather to celebrate this festive
occasion. The Secretary of Agriculture,
Brooke Rollins, was here. We lit the
tree. But more importantly, a couple
months ago, she alerted me to the fact
that the Kennedy Center was going to get
an official tree for the first time. So,
you see this tree and it's spectacular.
Donated by the US Department of
Agriculture, the 18t rest spruce came
from the Appalachian Mountains in
southern Virginia. Starting on this day,
the treelighting ceremony became a new
holiday tradition, putting faith and
worship front and center at America's
cultural institution.
>> It isn't just a beautiful Christmas
tree. It has amazing significance. It's
an incredible symbol of what we're all
doing and why we're here tonight. We're
bringing Christ and God and faith back
into our country and into the highest
levels of government.
Following the ceremony, the Kennedy
Center also put on a holiday concert
featuring songs of worship and biblical
stories, reminding folks about the
importance of faith and tradition in
American culture. And fostering ties
within the community is another mission
the institution is seeking to fulfill.
To revive the Christmas spirit, Kennedy
Center President Rick Rennell has a
message to those who are feeling lonely
during the holiday season. This season
is a great celebration for many people,
but for some it's a lonely time. And I
would say come to the Kennedy Center. We
have a lot of free events. We have uh an
atmosphere that is welcoming for the
entire community. And I bet you're going
to meet new people and be able to
celebrate together. The Kennedy Center
has a series of Christmas activities on
it schedule, including free music
performances, film screenings, and
family workshops. Sam Wong, NTD News,
Washington, DC.
