2 publishers · first seen Thu, 05 Nov 2026 15:11 UTC · updated Fri, 06 Nov 2026 14:00 UTC
This year's Rockefeller Center Christmas tree, a 76-foot Norway spruce from West Edmeston, New York, was cut down on Thursday and is expected to arrive in New York City on Saturday. The tree, approximately 75 years old and measuring 50 feet in diameter, will be hoisted onto a flatbed truck for its 200-mile journey to Rockefeller Plaza, where it will stand over the center's famous skating rink. Once in place, the tree will be adorned with over 50,000 multicolored LED lights and a 900-pound Swarovski star, and will be lit during a televised ceremony on December 2.
The tradition of the Rockefeller Center Christmas tree dates back to 1931, when construction crews put up a small tree with handmade garlands to raise spirits during the Great Depression. The first formal lighting ceremony took place in 1933. The tree will be on display until January 9, after which it will be milled into lumber for the housing nonprofit Habitat for Humanity.
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