23-metre giant from a small town chosen as Hungary’s Christmas tree

Just a few weeks remain until Christmas, and preparations have officially begun: the Office of the National Assembly has once again selected the fir that will become the country’s Christmas tree and stand on Budapest’s Kossuth Square from the first Sunday of Advent until Epiphany. The decision has now been made: the tallest tree in the town of Ibrány, an almost 23-metre silver fir, will become Hungary’s Christmas tree for 2025.

31 trees offered for the honour

According to information shared on the National Assembly’s Instagram and Facebook pages, offers arrived throughout the year from every corner of the country. Out of the 31 submitted trees, 18 were tall enough to be inspected on site – and several candidates from last year’s selection returned to the competition.

The final decision was made after considering multiple factors: in addition to reaching a minimum height of 20 metres, the tree needed to have a well-proportioned shape, dense foliage, safe accessibility, and the resilience to withstand cutting and transport.

A 40-year-old family tree travels to Budapest

The chosen festive tree is special not only because of its impressive size, but also because of its story. The silver fir from the Nyírség region was offered by a local family who requested anonymity. The tree had grown tall over forty years in their garden, and, as Szon.hu reported, it was at the grandchildren’s suggestion on last year’s Christmas Eve that they decided the time had come for it to serve the nation’s celebration.