Budget Cuts Forcing Chicago To Downsize Christmas Tree

Chicago's deep budget crisis is forcing some unusual cuts this holiday season, even to one of the most venerable traditions -- the city's Christmas tree.

For decades, the city's Office of Special Events has splurged to build a mammoth Christmas tree in Daley Plaza out of more than one hundred smaller ones bound together. This year, the city is scrapping the super tree in favor a single 55-foot tree that could save taxpayers as much as $250,000.

The Weivoda family of Palos Heights was thinking of cutting down its blue spruce to clear space on an acre of property they own. The family offered the tree to the city, which happily accepted it.

"We were looking for a tree,'' spokeswoman Mary May told the Chicago Sun-Times. "It was the prettiest that we found.''

Last year's tree, which was 85-feet-high, took weeks to build and cost the city about $300,000, according to CBS 2 . This year, the city also landed a $100,000 from corporate sponsor Underwriters Laboratories, which will cover the 7,000 LED lights that will drape the tree.

It will be the first time since 1955 that Chicago will have a single Christmas tree, according to the AP.