Vatican Christmas tree from Germany lit in St Peter's Square

People stop to look at the Christmas tree next to St. Peter's Basilica in St. Peter's Square at the Vatican, Friday, Dec. 13, 2013. The 25-meter (82 feet) tall tree which arrived from Bavaria, Germany was lit Friday evening at the end of ceremony. Big crowds are expected to flock to the square during the holidays to admire the tree. (AP Photo/Andrew Medichini) (The Associated Press)

A crescent moon rises above a Christmas tree in St. Peter's Square at the Vatican, Friday, Dec. 13, 2013. The 25-meter (82 feet) tall tree which arrived from Bavaria, Germany was lit Friday evening at the end of ceremony. Big crowds are expected to flock to the square during the holidays to admire the tree. (AP Photo/Andrew Medichini) (The Associated Press)

VATICAN CITY – The lights have been turned on a 25-meter-tall (82-foot-tall) Christmas tree in the center of St. Peter's Square.

Tourists applauded when the tree, topped by a star, became aglow in colored lights during a Vatican ceremony at dusk Friday. The fir was donated by a town in Bavaria, Germany.

The Vatican said after the tree is taken down, following the end of the holiday season in January, the trunk will be used to make toys and other everyday objects. That "recycling" aspect dovetails with the Vatican's concerns about the environment.

Big crowds are expected to flock to the square during the holidays to admire the tree.