Ten Fascinating Facts About the Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree in New York City

Rockefeller Center chose a Christmas treeShe will soon arrive in New York and light up 50000 of her colorful lights. Time-out collected 10 fascinating facts about the main Christmas tree of the city.

1. Dimensions

The 11-ton, 22,5-metre-tall, 13-metre-wide coniferous tree will be cut down on November 7 and then transported to midtown Manhattan by November 9.

At 11 tons, it's the equivalent of 22 grand pianos, or about two woolly mammoths. Believe it or not, it's not even the tallest tree in Rockefeller Center's history. In 1999, a Connecticut spruce stood at 30 feet tall.

2 Age

Considering the fact that the tree Rockefeller Center so big, it is not surprising that these trees live a long time. For example, last year's tree was about 80 years old.

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3. Place of birth

This year's tree hails from West Stockbridge, Massachusetts. It's the first time since 1959 that a tree from that state has been chosen. Each year, Rockefeller Center's head gardener, Eric Pause, searches for the perfect tree and then tends to it to make sure it's ready for the big day.

“I’m looking for a tree that you would want in your living room, but on a larger scale. It has a beautiful, perfect shape all the way around. And most importantly, it has to look good for the kids who turn the corner of 30 Rock; it has to instantly put a huge smile on their face and make them feel happy,” Pauz said last year.

4. Chic. Shine. beauty

More than 50 multi-colored lights wrap around the tree in a circle. That's about 000 km of wires - and a lot of work to install the garlands.

5. Main accessory

The star on top of the tree is simply dazzling. Architect Daniel Libeskind designed it in 2018. This 400D Swarovski star weighs about 70 kg and has 3 spikes covered in XNUMX million crystals.

6. Volunteer Christmas tree

After the tree has brought joy to the holiday season, it is recycled and donated to Habitat for Humanity, where the lumber is used to build homes for those in need. The wood is used to make flooring, furniture, and millwork, helping build Habitat homes from New York to Mississippi.

Construction crews even stamp wood to indicate its Rockefeller Center heritage. A woman named Lakisha, who owns a Habitat home, says she loves seeing the stamp in her closet and on her cabinets.

“Every day is a wonderful reminder of how far I’ve come,” she told Habitat for Humanity. “And that you should never give up on your dreams, no matter what.”

7. She is green - literally and figuratively

The 50 light bulbs circling the tree are energy-efficient LEDs, which use a fraction of the energy of traditional bulbs and produce brighter colors.

8. Christmas tree with history

The tradition of putting up a Christmas tree at Rockefeller Center goes back almost a century. In 1931, the builders who were constructing Rockefeller Center put up a Christmas tree near it, which started the tradition. Two years later, in 1933, the first official tree-lighting ceremony took place at Rockefeller Center, where 700 lights were lit.

During World War II, in 1942, three trees were erected at Rockefeller Plaza: red, white, and blue, to show support for American troops. Over the years, the tree lighting ceremony has evolved into the spectacular event we know and love today.

9. Who lives in the Christmas tree?

After the green beauty arrived in 2020, staff were surprised to find a tiny stowaway in its branches — a white-necked owl they named Rocky (short for Rockefeller). The bird was hungry and thirsty (and likely scared) after its journey, but thanks to the care of rescuers, it survived and was released back into the wild.

10. Invites everyone to visit

The Rockefeller Center Christmas tree lighting ceremony will take place on Wednesday, December 4, at 30 Rockefeller Plaza. However, if you want to avoid the crowds, you can see it on other days. After the official ceremony, the tree will be lit daily from 5 a.m. to midnight until mid-January. On Christmas Day, the tree will be lit for 00 hours, and on New Year's Eve, from 24 a.m. to 5 p.m.