Paul Ryan lights Christmas tree on Capitol Hill

WASHINGTON (WABC) -- For the 53rd year in a row, the Capitol Christmas Tree is adding some Christmas cheer to the West Lawn of the U.S. Capitol building in Washington.

House Speaker Paul Ryan lit the tree Wednesday evening assisted by sixth grader Ridley Brandmayr from Montana. The tree was selected from Kootenai National Forest in the same state.

The Engelmann Spruce stands at 79 feet tall and features over 12,000 handmade ornaments made from recycled materials.

The Associated Press assisted in this report.