Giant Spruce Ushers in the Festive Season
A monumental Norway spruce, standing an impressive 75 feet (23 metres) tall, was carefully hoisted into position at New York's Rockefeller Center on Saturday, the 8th of November. This grand event officially signals the beginning of the city's much-anticipated holiday season, drawing crowds of excited onlookers to 30 Rockefeller Plaza.
A Grand Journey from Upstate New York
This year's chosen tree embarked on a significant 150-mile (240-kilometre) journey from the upstate town of East Greenbush, a suburb of Albany. After being felled earlier in the week, the colossal 11-tonne spruce travelled south on a flatbed truck, captivating residents along its route. Upon arrival in Manhattan, skilled workers used powerful cranes to lift the tree into its place overlooking the famous skating rink, a spectacle witnessed by a large crowd armed with coffees and mobile phones.
Spectacular Decor and a Heartwarming Legacy
The tree will soon be transformed into a dazzling holiday beacon, adorned with more than 50,000 energy-efficient LED lights in a multitude of colours. It will be topped with a magnificent 900-pound (408-kilogram) Swarovski star. The official tree-lighting ceremony is scheduled for the 3rd of December and will be hosted by country music icon Reba McEntire during a live television broadcast. The tree will remain lit and on display until mid-January 2026.
In a sustainable and charitable conclusion to its season, the tree will be milled into lumber and donated to the affordable housing non-profit, Habitat for Humanity. The tree was a generous gift from homeowner Judy Russ and her family. She revealed that the spruce was originally planted by her husband's great-grandparents in the 1920s. "For this to now become the centre of New York City Christmas is incredible," Russ told radio station 1010 WINS.
A Tradition Born from Hope
The beloved Rockefeller Center tradition has deep roots, dating back to 1931 during the Great Depression. Construction workers at the site erected a modest 20-foot (6-metre) balsam fir decorated with homemade garlands from their families to lift their own spirits. The tradition was formally established with the first official tree-lighting ceremony held in 1933.
