One of the most well-known and famous Christmas trees in the United States is the one resurrected each year in the Rockefeller Center. The Rockefeller Christmas tree tradition was said to have started in 1931 when workers placed a tree in the center of the Rockefeller Center in Manhattan. They were reported to have decorated it with whatever they could find.\u00a0\u00a0Keep in mind this was the middle of the depression, so decorations included random items such as strings of cranberries, tin cans, and gum wrappers.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
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Today, the tree is covered with nearly 30,000 lights with almost 5 miles of wire! In 1999, a 100FT tall Norway Spruce was placed in the center and decorated as a king of all Christmas trees! That was the largest on record, typically the Rockefeller Christmas Tree averages between 78-90 feet tall.\u00a0\u00a0
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Today one of the most well-known celebrations of the Rockefeller Christmas tree is the lighting ceremony.\u00a0\u00a0Thousands of people gather to watch the tree light up for the first time every single November. It\u2019s not just the tree they are waiting for either.\u00a0\u00a0Since 2004 the tree has been topped with a beautiful star and since 2009 that star has been composed of over 25,000 Swarovski crystals.\u00a0\u00a0Did you know in 1944 during the World War II the tree was not lit in order to protect the ships?\u00a0\u00a0It was thought the tree would cause their silhouettes to be outlined making them easier targets for the enemies.\u00a0<\/p>\n
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You may wonder how long does it take to grow a tree giant enough for Rockefeller Center?\u00a0\u00a0A really long time, about 70-90 years! What happens to such a giant tree after the season is over?\u00a0\u00a0Since 2007 a go green initiative has been in place resulting energy efficient LED lights and a recycling program.\u00a0\u00a0The tree is actually recycled, turned into lumber and given to Habitat for Humanity for building! <\/p>\n
Tonight, tune into your local NBC station and watch the switch get flipped on this year’s tree. Or, if you’re in New York City before early January, check it out in person. It’s always a sight to see.<\/p>\n
Photos Courtesy of RockefellerCenter.com<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
One of the most well-known and famous Christmas trees in the United States is the one resurrected each year in the Rockefeller Center. The Rockefeller Christmas tree tradition was said to have started in 1931 when workers placed a tree in the center of the Rockefeller Center in Manhattan. They were reported to have decorated […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":237271,"menu_order":0,"template":"","meta":[],"tags":[],"yoast_head":"\n