For this holiday season, the state of Minnesota has proudly provided the 2014 Capitol Christmas Tree. Sitting on the west lawn of the U.S. Capitol, the 88-foot white spruce was chosen from the Chippewa National Forest and the Reservation of the Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe. In addition, 70 companion trees were delivered to Washington—one of which is on display in Sen. Franken's office—along with 10,000 ornaments hand made by Minnesotans.

"It's such an honor to have this year's Capitol Christmas Tree come from Minnesota and the Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe," said Sen. Franken. "Not only does this give us bragging rights, at least for another year, but it gives us a unique opportunity to share the beauty of our state with people from across the country."

You can see photos of the 2014 U.S. Capitol Tree lighting ceremony and of the tree on display in Sen. Franken's office here.

Below are some fun facts about the 2014 Capitol Christmas Tree from Minnesota:

• The 2014 U.S. Capitol Christmas Tree is provided by both Chippewa National Forest and Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe.
• The tree not only came from US Forest Service land, but also within the boundary of the Leech Lake Reservation.
• The 88 foot tall White Spruce (Picea glauca) is 88 years old.
• The last time Minnesota provided the U.S. Capitol Christmas Tree was 1992, it also came Chippewa National Forest and Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe.
• When cut, the tree wasn't dropped but rather delicately lowered with two large cranes on to a specially designed trailer as to protect it.
• When cut, it was measured to weigh 13,000 lbs
• 10,000 handmade ornaments were made to go with the main tree and the 70 additional companion trees. This is significant in that the tree is from the land of 10,000 lakes.
• While travelling to Washington, there were over 30 stops traveling through 9 states and the District of Columbia.
• Nearly 40,000 people interacted with this year's tree along the tour.
• The tree has a 30 foot crown spread, which is the distance the branches extend out.
• The trunk has a 30 inch diameter.
• The Tree was kept fresh using a specially designed bladder bag that held 45 gallons of water. In some years, especially if it was warm, the Tree would drink all 45 gallons per day! However, because of the early season cold we had, the Tree went into a dormant state and used less - about 10 gallons per day.
• The Tree will be on the West Lawn of the U.S. Capitol.