December 5, 2022 – Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree

Last week, the iconic Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree was lit. The first Christmas tree went up in 1931, when Italian-American workers building Rockefeller Center pooled their money to put up a tree and decorated it with garlands made by their families. It became a national tradition in 1933. The head gardener at Rockefeller Center is responsible for finding the tree each year. He scouts out the tristate area, and trees are also submitted through Rockefeller Center’s website. Due to the narrowness of the streets around Rockefeller Center, trees can be a maximum of 100 feet tall. This year’s tree is an 82-foot-tall Norway Spruce from Queensbury, NY. It’s decorated with more than 50,000 multicolored lights and a 900-pound Swarovski crystal star on top. The tree is lit daily from 6 am-12 am, except on Christmas Day, when it’s lit for 24 hours. The tree will stay on display through mid-January. Around 125 million people are expected to visit the attraction. Learn more here.