The Christmas tree will also mark the 30th anniversary of the Slovenian plebiscite. The Vatican was one of the first countries to recognise Slovenia as an autonomous and independent country.

The tradition that a Christmas tree is displayed in St. Peter’s Square during the holiday season was first introduced in 1982 by the then Pope John Paul II. The tree is donated by a different country or region every year.

A further opportunity to highlight the strong bond between the Holy See and Slovenia and to express our gratitude will be the installation of a Slovenian Christmas tree in St. Peter’s Square at the end of 2020.

The prominence of this Slovenian spruce will have numerous additional and high-profile effects relating to the promotion of Slovenian forests and the Slovenian forestry school, which is based on durability, multifunctionality and sustainability.