14 DAY TRIAL // Edvard Munch's famous “The Scream” painting now has mini holiday tree decorations honoring the artist in the annual Norway Embassy Christmas tree. The winter green symbol from Washington's Union Station is now adorned with hundreds of screaming replicas.
The Christmas tree decorated with specific Norwegian symbols is a gift from the European country for the American population and a kind of thank you note for the assistance the US gave during the second World War.
Munch's painting of the ghostly silhouette, with its hand on its cheeks and mouth opened like it was screaming from the depth of his lungs, is all over the gigantic Christmas tree. The 700 screaming faces are really making the tree look like no other before.
This is the 16th time the embassy is handling the amazing tree, and with the 150th anniversary of Munch's birth, they decided to do something special, according to Daily Mail. Every year the tree celebrates a meaningful theme, and this year it was “The Scream'”s turn. The amazing tree holds different special Norwegian and American ornaments that feature iconic traditions and the country's flag.
“In a way it symbolizes all the angst in preparing for an excellent Christmas. I, myself, have that feeling. I'm not the only one who wants to scream from time to time,” Norwegian Ambassador Kare Aas said, according to Daily Mail. Oslo is one of Europe's most influential cultural capitals in the field of contemporary art and Edvard Munch is one of the field's icons, deserving a special celebration.
Every Christmas, Washington receives all kinds of gifts from other countries and Norway's signature tree is designed to represent the friendship between the two states. Even if the screaming ornaments are a bit odd and don't really represent the spirit of the holidays, it is a really nice gesture from Norway's side.