© 2026 Boise State Public Radio
NPR in Idaho
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

Ugly Christmas Tree Will Be Replaced In Pennsylvania Town

The people of Reading, Pa., didn't have the same compassion that Charlie Brown had.

A 50-foot spruce tree — called "nasty," "pathetic" and "ugly" — will be replaced with a prettier pine.

As the AP reports, the tree was put up by the city in a public space and the complaints started immediately. The tree was missing tons of branches and it had unseemly shape.

The AP explains:

"Now a group led by the city council president is raising money to buy and decorate a more impressive replacement. The current tree is topped with a lighted pretzel, a nod to the area's many bakeries.

"The puny pine was a last-minute stand-in taken from a city park. The city had planned to get its tree from a farm, but the owner wouldn't let the crews drive on the wet ground when they went to pick it up.

"Officials are hoping to have a do-over tree lighting ceremony next weekend."

One resident told WFMZ-TV that not even a squirrel looking for a home would pick that tree.

We'll leave you with WFMZ-TV's report:

And a lesson from Charlie Brown:

Copyright 2021 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.

Tags
Eyder Peralta is an international correspondent for NPR. He was named NPR's Mexico City correspondent in 2022.

You make stories like this possible.

The biggest portion of Boise State Public Radio's funding comes from readers like you who value fact-based journalism and trustworthy information.

Your donation today helps make our local reporting free for our entire community.