Construction Curiosities #133
Why There’s a Christmas Tree on That Building
Hey! Happy Tuesday! Matt here.
Welcome back to the Construction Curiosities newsletter!
Merry Christmas Eve Eve!
Hope you have been good enough this year for Santa to bring you what you want!
Summary
This week we will look at:
One Musing: Topping Out Tradition Explained
One Video: Topping out of the World Trade Center
One Installation Detail: Christmas Tree Install
One Meme: Welcome to the Topping Out
Why There’s a Christmas Tree on That Building
The holiday season is full of traditions. Construction is no different.
Some traditions are obvious. Hard hats and high viz safety vests. Morning safety huddles. Coffee that gets blacker the longer the job goes on. Others are quieter and easier to miss unless you know what you are looking at.
One of those is the Christmas tree sitting on top of a building under construction.
If you have ever driven past a jobsite in December and noticed a small pine perched on the roof or tied to a beam, that tree is not decoration. It is a signal. The structure has reached its highest point. The building has officially topped out.
While it might feel like a seasonal quirk, the topping out tree is one of the oldest traditions in construction, with roots that stretch back thousands of years.
Ancient Origins of the Topping Out Tradition
The exact origin of topping out is debated, which feels appropriate for an industry that can argue about anything and everything. Some historical accounts trace the practice back to ancient Egypt and the completion of the first pyramids.
According to these stories, workers placed a tree at the top of the structure to honor fellow builders who had died during construction. The tree represented eternal life and continuity, a symbol that something lasting had been created through collective effort.
In Northern Europe, particularly Scandinavia, the tradition evolved in a different direction. When the timber frame of a building was completed, builders placed a tree at the highest point to appease tree-dwelling spirits whose habitat had been disturbed during construction.
The symbolism was clear. Acknowledgment that something had been taken from the land and respect was owed in return. Whether the spirits appreciated another tree being cut down for the tradition is open for debate.
Beer, Protest, and Worker Recognition
As the tradition spread through Europe, it became more ceremonial and, in some places, more transactional.
In the Netherlands and Flanders, a version of the tradition known as pannenbier developed. When the highest point of the building was completed, a flag was raised and left in place until the building owner provided beer for the workers.
If the owner failed to deliver, a brush was sometimes placed on top of the structure instead. This was a visible sign of protest. In Prohibition-era America, that brush became a subtle statement against the Eighteenth Amendment.
There is even a story of a teetotaler who refused to provide beer and instead handed out Bibles to his crew. The workers promptly pawned them and bought their own beer.
Construction crews have always found a way to self-correct.
How the Tradition Reached Modern Jobsites
As European builders immigrated, the topping out tradition crossed the Atlantic and embedded itself in American construction culture. Over time, the meaning shifted from superstition and protest to recognition and celebration.
On steel projects, it became common to paint and sign the final beam before it was set in place. On other jobs, a small tree would quietly appear at the highest point of the structure.
The tree became a momentary pause in an otherwise relentless process. A reminder that progress had been made and that the people doing the work deserved acknowledgment.
Topping Out in Today’s Construction World
I have been to plenty of topping out ceremonies over the years.
Some were big and formal. Some were quick. Some involved speeches, BBQ, and prize drawings that lasted for hours. And despite the long history of beer being part of the tradition, I have never once been handed a free one… I guess Insurance companies tend to frown on that sort of thing.
Even so, the presence of the tree still carries weight. It marks a milestone that everyone on the project understands, whether they have been there since day one or just showed up last week.
It is one of the few moments on a job where progress is universally agreed upon.
Why the Topping Out Tree Still Matters
The topping out tree does not improve productivity. It does not reduce risk. It does not move the schedule forward.
What it does is acknowledge the people.
Construction is long, stressful, and often thankless. Crews move from job to job without much pause. Milestones blur together. Deadlines constantly demanding more.
The tree (and resulting BBQ) cuts through that.
It reminds everyone that buildings are not built by software, schedules, or spreadsheets. They are built by people who show up every day and take pride in their work.
During the holiday season, when that tree happens to look like Christmas, the symbolism feels even more fitting.
Anyone can build a building.
It is the experience along the way that people remember.
And sometimes, all it takes is a small tree on top of a roof to remind us of that.
One Video
Here’s a cool 4-minute archive video of the topping out of the World Trade Center.
One Installation Detail
How many of you have spec deficiencies in your Christmas tree installation?
Cheers to Chad Cooper for sharing this gem on Linkedin a few years ago!
One Meme
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Hope everyone has a Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!
