Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree

The Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree is a large Christmas tree placed annually in Rockefeller Center in mid-town Manhattan in New York City. The tree is erected and lit in late November or early December. In recent years, the lighting has been broadcast live nationwide on NBC's Christmas in Rockefeller Center show.[1] The tree, usually a Norway spruce 69 to 100 feet (21 to 30 m) tall, has been put up every year since 1933.[2] In 2011, the 74-foot (23 m) tree was lit on November 30 and remains until January 6, 2012.[3]

Contents

Selection and decoration

Many Rockefeller trees were given to Rockefeller Center by donors. The late David Murbach,[4] Manager of the Gardens Division of Rockefeller Center, scouted in a helicopter for the desired tree in areas including Connecticut, Vermont, Ohio, upstate New York, New Jersey, and even Ottawa, Canada.[5] Once a suitable tree is located, a crane supports it while it is cut, and moves it to a custom telescoping trailer that can transport trees up to 125 feet (38 m) tall, although the width of New York City streets passing through Rockefeller Center limits the height of the trees to 110 feet (34 m).

Once at the Rockefeller Center, the tree is supported[6] by four guy-wires attached at its midpoint, and by a steel spike at its base. Scaffolding is put up around the tree to assist workers in putting up 30,000 lights attached to 5 miles (8.0 km) of wiring.[7]

The star that has topped the tree since 2004 is 9.5 feet (2.9 m) in diameter and weighs 550 pounds (250 kg). This "Swarovski Star" was created by German artist Michael Hammers, who in 2009 additionally designed his own star lighting production. [8][9]

History

Although the official Christmas tree tradition at Rockefeller Center began in 1933 (the year the 30 Rockefeller Plaza opened), the unofficial tradition began during the Depression-era construction of Rockefeller Center, when workers decorated a smaller 20 feet (6.1 m) balsam fir tree with "strings of cranberries, garlands of paper, and even a few tin cans" on Christmas Eve (December 24, 1931), as recounted by Daniel Okrent in his history of Rockefeller Center.[10] Some accounts have the tree decorated with the tin foil ends of blasting caps. There was no Rockefeller Center Christmas tree in 1932.

The decorated Christmas tree remains lit at Rockefeller Center through January 6, which is the Christian feast of The Epiphany. Then it is removed from the premises and recycled for a variety of uses. In 2007, the tree went "green," employing LED lights.[11] After being taken down, the tree was used to furnish lumber for Habitat for Humanity house construction.[12]

The tallest Christmas tree at Rockefeller Center was a 100 feet (30 m) spruce erected on November 11, 1999 that was being cared for by Cathy and Jim Thomson.[13]

Known Tree origination:

Year Original Location Tree Type Height
2011 Mifflinville, PA Norway spruce 74 ft
2010 Mahopac, NY[14] Norway spruce 74 ft
2009 Easton, CT[15] Norway spruce 76 ft
2008 Hamilton, NJ[16] Norway spruce 72 ft
2007 Shelton, CT[17] Norway spruce 84 ft
2006 Ridgefield, CT[18] Norway spruce 88 ft
2005 Wayne, NJ[19] Norway spruce 74 ft
2004 Suffern, NY[20] Norway spruce 71 ft
2003 Manchester, CT[20] Norway spruce 79 ft
2002 Bloomsbury, NJ[21] Norway spruce 76 ft
2000 Buchanan, NY[22] Norway spruce 80 ft
1999 Killingworth, CT[23] Norway spruce 100 ft*
1986 Nanuet, NY[24] Norway spruce 68 ft
1957 Brighton, VT[25] white spruce 67 ft

See also

Notes

  1. ^ Lambert, Bruce (December 5, 2008). "A Christmas Tree That Manhattan's Can Look Up To". The New York Times. http://www.nytimes.com/2008/12/07/nyregion/long-island/07treeli.html?scp=1&sq. Retrieved December 14, 2008. 
  2. ^ Tree Facts, 2007 (pdf), The Christmas Tree at Rockefeller Center
  3. ^ Past tree lighting times at Rockefeller Center
  4. ^ Rockefeller Center Christmas tree hunter David Murbach dies just before Christmas
  5. ^ "Rockefeller Center's tree". about.com. http://manhattan.about.com/od/historyandlandmarks/a/rockefellercent_5m.htm. Retrieved 2007-12-01. 
  6. ^ Youtube - In New York, a Big Tree Takes Its Place
  7. ^ "Christmas tree is hoisted at Rockefeller Center". CBS News. http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-201_162-57323542/christmas-tree-is-hoisted-at-rockefeller-center/?tag=cbsnewsSectionContent.1. 
  8. ^ Berger, Paul (2005-12-04). "A Star Is Reborn". The New York Times. http://www.nytimes.com/2005/12/04/nyregion/thecity/04star.html?_r=1&fta=y&pagewanted=all&oref=slogin. Retrieved 2008-05-29. 
  9. ^ Barron, James (2009-11-18). "A Star Makeover". The New York Times. http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9F0DE2DA173AF93BA25752C1A96F9C8B63. Retrieved 2009-12-11. 
  10. ^ Daniel Okrent, Great Fortune: The Epic of Rockefeller Center. New York: Viking Press, 2003 (p. 188) (ISBN 0-670-03169-0)
  11. ^ "The tree at Rockefeller Center". Rockefeller Center. 2007. http://www.thetreenyc.org/smartTree.php. Retrieved 2007-12-01. 
  12. ^ "LEDs will light up Rockefeller Christmas tree". CNN. 2007. Archived from the original on November 23, 2007. http://web.archive.org/web/20071123161112/http://www.cnn.com/2007/TECH/science/11/21/green.christmas.ap/index.html. Retrieved 2007-12-01. 
  13. ^ Biggest Yule Tree Ever Giant Spruce Headed To Rockefeller Center
  14. ^ "Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree donated by family of Ground Zero FDNY veteran". New York Daily News. 2010-11-11. http://www.nydailynews.com/ny_local/2010/11/11/2010-11-11_rockefeller_center_christmas_tree_donated_by_family_of_ground_zero_fdny_veteran.html. Retrieved 2010-11-11. 
  15. ^ "Christmas tree going up in NY's Rockefeller Center". Associated Press. 2009-11-12. http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5ivE9G8JKwGM3qANq3oAQlcRa65zAD9BTV1901. Retrieved 2009-11-12. 
  16. ^ "Hamilton tree headed for Rockefeller Center called 'miracle'". NJ.com. 2008-11-13. http://www.nj.com/news/index.ssf/2008/11/hamilton_tree_fheaded_or_rocke.html. Retrieved 2009-11-12. 
  17. ^ "H2007 Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree From Shelton, Connecticut". About.com. 2007-11-09. http://forestry.about.com/b/2007/11/09/rockefeller-center-christmas-tree-from-ridgefield-connecticut.htm. Retrieved 2009-11-12. 
  18. ^ "Connecticut Tree Spruces Up Rockefeller Plaza". Fox News. 2006-11-10. http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,177278,00.html. Retrieved 2009-11-12. 
  19. ^ "Katrina, Rita Kids Light Rockefeller Tree". Fox News. 2005-12-01. http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,177278,00.html. Retrieved 2009-11-12. 
  20. ^ a b "NYC — Rockefeller Christmas and Tree — New York City". http://www.newyorkled.com/moreNYseasonal_christmas_Rockefeller-Tree.htm. Retrieved 2009-11-12. 
  21. ^ "76-foot spruce arrives in Rockefeller Center for holidays". The Boston Globe. http://www.boston.com/news/daily/13/christmas_tree.htm. 
  22. ^ "Rockefeller Center Christmas tree installed". CNN. 2010-11-12. http://articles.cnn.com/2000-11-10/us/rockefeller.tree_1_rockefeller-center-christmas-tree-david-murbach-lighting-ceremony?_s=PM:US. 
  23. ^ "Rockefeller Tree Lighting is Close". http://411newyork.org/media/2011/10/13/rockefeller-tree-lighting-is-close/. 
  24. ^ Fernandez, Manny. "It’s No Simple Matter Before a Tree Joins Rockefeller Center History". The New York Times. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/11/30/nyregion/30trees.html. Retrieved 2009-11-12. 
  25. ^ Hunt, Pat (December 2008). Vermont's Northland Journal 7 (9): 6. 

References

Further reading

External links

Cultivation
Production
Artificial
Decorations
Individual trees
Trade groups
Other topics
Core topics
In Christianity
In folklore
and literature
Traditions
By area
Music
Other media
  • Fiction
  • Films
  • Onstage
Television
In society
Foods