Over 90 Christmas Trees and Religious Displays Reflecting Different Cultures Shown in Pappas’ Office

Cook County’s diversity is presented in full display in a showing of over 90 Christmas trees and religious displays in the office of Cook County Treasurer Maria Pappas.

An annual event in Pappas’ office, “Holiday Trees From Around the World” is on display in Room 112 in the Cook County Building, 118 N. Clark St., Chicago, through January 7, 2011.

Some 90 Christmas trees, each decorated by a group or person to reflect a specific culture, are spread through Pappas’ office, along with displays from African American, Buddhist, Hindu, Jewish and Moslem traditions.

Decorating the trees are not only familiar ornaments and lights, but figures of clowns, birds, animals, flags, flowers, fruit, soccer balls, candles, plates, money and other items.

The countries, ethnic communities and groups represented by trees include:

Albania, Argentina, Armenia, Assyrian, Australia, Austria, Bahamas, Bangladesh, Barbados, Belarus, Belgium, Belize, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Brazil, Burkina Faso, Bulgaria, Cameroon, Canada, Canada-Quebec, China, Cornwall, Croatia, Cuba, Czech Moravian, Denmark, Ecuador, Egypt, England, Estonia, Ethiopia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Guatemala, Haiti, Hawaiian, Honduras, Hungary.

Iceland, India, Ireland, Italy, Jamaica, Japan, Korea, Latvia, Lebanon, Lithuania, Malaysia, Macedonia, Mexico, Mongolia, Native American, Nepal, Netherlands, Nigeria-Yoruba, Norway, Pakistan, Palestinian, Panama, Peru, Philippines, Poland, Puerto Rico, Romania, Russia, Scotland, Senegal, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, South Africa, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan, Thailand, Turkey, Ukraine, Uganda, Uruguay, United States, Vietnam, Wales, Zambia.

PDF: Albanian Tree