Bridgeport Explains Tradition of Unique Holiday Tree - WBOY.com: Clarksburg, Morgantown: News, Sports, Weather

People driving past Bridgeport City Hall might be wondering what its all-blue Christmas tree symbolizes, but it's all for good reason.

Police Chief John Walker said blue is a color used to honor law enforcement officers.

"We do that to honor them and their family and it's also to recognize and honor the families of law enforcement officers who are working during the Christmas season," said Walker.

The blue light tradition was started in 1988 by a woman who had a family member pass away in the line of duty.

"What happened was her mother decided that she was going to get with law enforcement agencies and start a trend, or what she hoped would be a trend, of displaying a blue light or blue lights for Christmas decorations and it's kind of taken off nationally" Walker said.

Dolly Craig started the tradition by placing two blue lights in her window on Christmas. Bridgeport City Hall took it a step further by decorating their entire Christmas tree blue, in honor of two men from Bridgeport.

"One reason it's especially important to us is because of the loss of Derek Hotsinpiller a couple of years ago who was killed in the line of duty… and also his father Lieutenant James Hotsinpiller was a member of the department when he passed away. A lot of the times you see that law enforcement and fire fighters it's a generational type of occupation and it certainly was with the Hotsinpillers and it's a special time of year and we wanted something to remember them" said Walker.

You can see this special blue tree through the window at Bridgeport City Hall, and Walker is even considering decorating the outside of the building blue as well. You can let law enforcement officers know you support them. All you have to do is place a blue light in your window.