The employees of the Municipal Society of Technology of the Capital City of Prague (THMP) started dismantling the Christmas tree on the Old Town Square this morning. Along with it, 1,100 Christmas decorations on public lighting and thirty Christmas trees will disappear from the streets of Prague in the coming days. Wondering what will happen to the 17.5-meter-like spruce from the Old Town Square? Not even a splinter will come to waste!
The tree will go to Malešice
Students of the Jarov Secondary Vocational School will turn the spruce from the Old Town Square into furniture for the Home for the Elderly in Malešice, which is located near the Jarov Secondary Vocational School and is also an organization of the capital. The tree will be removed on Monday.
"In Prague, we like to follow tradition, but at the same time we emphasize care of green spaces, ecology and sustainability. I therefore appreciate that the tree, which adorned the Old Town Square during the Christmas period, like in previous years, won't end up in a landfill or incinerator, but will be used to the last chip. We want to keep up this practise in the coming years - we'll be happy to use the Christmas tree for similar beneficial purposes as this year,"
said the mayor of the capital Zdeněk Hřib.
Open in gallery (2)
Strom na Staroměstském náměstíSource: Petr Hloušek / Právo / Profimedia
Put up decorations and cut into pieces
The tree will be dismantled by two crews of THMP electricians. After removing about three hundred and fifty Christmas decorations, including the star and top, it will be time to remove the six-kilometer-long light chain. According to the Chairman of the Board of Directors of THMP, Tomáš Jílek, the work will take two to three days. After removing the decorations, the tree will be laid on the ground and a lumberjack will divide it into about four-meter logs. After that, the Hostivař saw will get its turn in the processing.
According to the director of the Jarov Secondary Vocational School, Miloslav Janeček, the saw will cut the logs into planks for free and they'll then dry them at school.
"Subsequently, our student carpenters will make furniture out of it. Examples are atypical wardrobes, bedside tables or garden benches,”
the director mentioned the possible use of the wood.
Christmas decorations will no longer light up today
As for the decorations in the streets of Prague, most of them were lit for the last time yesterday. THMP, which has been managing the largest public lighting network in the country for Prague for the third year in a row, decorated the poles with a total of 400 light snowflakes, 230 bells, 200 stars and 60 comet or candle-shaped decorations this year. Another 200 or so ornaments were in the form of chains and light curtains.
"Most of these Christmas decors wont light up anymore tonight, we will turn them off and gradually remove them. On Friday, we will be primarily dismantling the Christmas trees, and from Monday we will start uninstalling the decorations on public lighting. Given their number, it will take up most of January,"
