Christmas in July? No, but there is reason to celebrate.

Many have noticed the “Christmas Tree” on top of the inpatient tower on the main campus.

The origins of celebrating the “topping-out” of a structure date back to Roman times. (Topping-out refers the placing of the uppermost piece that completes the height of a building.)

The tradition of the evergreen tree atop a building is traced to to Scandinavia in 700 A.D. Evergreen trees were hoisted to atop a ridge pole to signify the start of a completion party. It is a good luck symbol as an offering to the tree gods. Some date it to 2700 B.C. when Egyptian workers placed a live plant atop the pyramid for those workers who died during the construction so they would have eternal life.

For some, the topping-out ceremony symbolizes the completion of a job without the loss of life. This is one of the reasons for the tree atop the inpatient tower.

“They went over 400 days without a lost-day injury,” said Bob Norton, director of facilities for St. John’s Health System. “That’s a pretty significant accomplishment.”

The American flag that hung from the tower also symbolizes topping-out and the support of America by construction workers. This dates to the early 20th century when labor unions were thought to be anti-American. Construction workers would hoist a flag to show their patriotism and support for America.

No matter the origin, the tradition tells us that the inpatient tower is now topped-out. The process of enclosing the structure with limestone panels on the ends and glass panels on the face and inside the atrium areas is under way.

The building will be “buttoned-up” and weather-proof by December and complete by December 2007.

Plans are being finalized for the circle drive drop-off for the new building as well. That will impact portions of the visitor parking spaces on the north side of the south lot beginning in January of 2007.

Crews are now working on the tie-ins where the tower connects to the hospital at the east, west sides and center corridors as visible in the photo below.