News Release from Mormon Newsroom
Get ready, set, light! Thousands of LED lights spread out over the 35 acres of historic Temple Square and the immediate area were turned on Friday, November 24, 2017. Hundreds of people of all ages, waiting in great anticipation for the magic moment, were not disappointed.
The annual lighting of Temple Square has become a tradition for many families and individuals since the 1960s, when then President David O. McKay began the ceremony.
Crèches representing various countries of the world are displayed near the fountain between the Church Office and the Church Administration Buildings. A narrated nativity scene is located on Temple Square between the historic Tabernacle and the North Visitors’ Center.
You can see the Christus from the picturesque windows of the visitors’ center. In the reflecting pool just east of the temple, the baby Jesus; Mary, His mother; and Joseph appear to be floating on the water.
Every other year the magnificent cedar of Lebanon tree is lit with red LED (light emitting diode) lights. Brought to Temple Square as a seedling by a woman who had come back from a trip to Lebanon, the tree was given to the head gardener and planted near the east gate. Nearly 80 years later it stands at more than 70 feet tall, making it one of the largest trees on Temple Square.
