Where does the Rockefeller Center Christmas tree come from? The history of the world's most famous Christmas decoration

The most famous Christmas tree in the world is most likely the one in New York. The tradition of setting it up in the Rockefeller Center plaza dates back to 1933. Since 1951, the lighting ceremony of the typical Norway spruce has been broadcast live on television, becoming over time an international event. Visited every year by over 2 million people, the tree features more than 50,000 multicolored lights and a large Swarovski star on top. It remains lit from 5 a.m. to midnight for at least the entire month of December, while on Christmas Day it stays illuminated for 24 consecutive hours.

How long can you see the Rockefeller Center Christmas tree?

Generally, the first week of January is the last one in which it can be admired with its lights on; afterwards, it is converted into lumber – which is donated for the construction of new homes. This year’s tree exceeds 24 meters and was provided by a couple from Vestal, a town north of New York. «It’s easy to love the Rockefeller Center Christmas tree, but it’s hard to watch your own tree become it» noted the New York Times.

The Norway spruce that ends up in the heart of Manhattan is almost always donated, but the selection process is more complex than one might think. Although there is an official form to propose your own tree, where you must indicate its size and provide a photo with a person or a house nearby, most selected trees are spotted and chosen by the Rockefeller Center gardening team.

The work behind the Rockefeller Center Christmas tree

Throughout the year, Rockefeller Center gardeners move between Connecticut, New Jersey and the state of New York in search of the ideal tree. They visit nurseries and observe gardens, traveling by car and even by helicopter. Besides meeting specific measurements, the perfect Norway spruce must not only be sturdy enough to support the decorations but must also resemble the shape of a classic Christmas tree. Once one or more candidates are identified, the owners are contacted and a delicate persuasion process begins.

Over the years, many people have declined the proposal from the New York gardening team, sometimes due to emotional ties to the tree. Trees are often donated, although in some cases a small financial contribution has been provided – as in 1996, when the tree was ceded for the equivalent of about 1,800 euros. The 1995 Christmas tree was obtained only after ten years of requests: it belonged to nuns in a New Jersey convent. Once the spruce is obtained, Rockefeller Center takes responsibility for planting a new tree or at least restoring the donors’ garden.

New York’s most famous Christmas trees in history

Usually, the spruce acquired for the Rockefeller Center display is brought to New York between late October and early November – when traveling by road, it is adorned with large red bows to make it recognizable and anticipate the Christmas atmosphere. Once it arrives in the city’s large plaza, it is raised with four steel cables and then decorated – the strings of lights are so numerous that they reach several kilometers in length. In 1997, the selected spruce was spotted during a helicopter inspection, and once felled, it traveled by boat along the Hudson River to Manhattan.

The following Christmas, the tree from Ohio was brought to the city on what was then the world’s largest cargo plane. In 1999, the tallest tree ever was installed – a Norway spruce measuring around 30 meters, while the first Swarovski crystal star was placed in 2004. This year marks the hundredth anniversary of New York’s official Christmas tree tradition – originally proposed and organized by an advertising executive. However, the initiative that inspired it took place two years earlier, in 1931, when some construction workers at the Rockefeller Center gathered money to decorate a small spruce with paper garlands.