City Councilman Jeff Waltman photographs the city’s official Christmas tree in Reading, Pa., in this Dec. 12, 2014, photo.READING, Pa. — Reading’s official Christmas tree has brought the city plenty of grief. Good grief.
When the 50-foot Norway spruce went up last month, it drew immediate comparisons to the scraggly sapling in “A Charlie Brown Christmas.” Its giant bare spots and asymmetrical branches were no one’s idea of Christmas tree perfection — especially in Pennsylvania, one of the nation’s largest producers. Some residents and city officials called it an embarrassment and demanded it be replaced with a more suitable specimen.
Instead, Reading decided to embrace the Charlie Brown theme.
Workers wrapped a blue blanket around its base — a la Linus — and adorned it with a single red ball. The city announced a worldwide photo and essay contest, with winners to receive copies of the book version of the beloved TV special. And on Saturday, the public is invited to give the tree a makeover, just like the “Peanuts” gang surprised Charlie Brown by turning his puny pine into a trimmed, twinkling tannenbaum.
Turns out Reading’s tree wasn’t bad at all, really. It just needed a little love.