Where did the Christmas trees in New York's Rockefeller Center come from?

The most famous Christmas tree in the world is probably the one in New York. The tradition of setting it up in the Rockefeller Center dates back to 1933. Since 1951, the lighting ceremony for the lights decorating the typical red spruce has been broadcast live on television, becoming over time an internationally significant event. Visited by over 2 million people every year, the tree features more than 50 thousand multicolored lights and a large Swarovski star on top. It remains lit from 5 in the morning until midnight for at least the entire month of December, while on Christmas Day, it is illuminated for 24 consecutive hours. Generally, the first week of January is the last chance to see it with the lights on; afterward, it is converted into lumber – which is then used for charity in building new homes. This year's tree is over 24 meters tall and was provided by a couple from Vestal, a town north of New York. «It is easy to love the Rockefeller Center Christmas tree. It is hard to watch your tree become one,» clarified the Times. The red 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 tree, where you have to indicate the dimensions and provide a photo with a person or a house nearby, most selected trees are noticed and chosen by the Rockefeller Center gardening team.

The work behind the Rockefeller Center Christmas tree

1931

1934

1950

1955

1970

1973

1982

1996

Throughout the year, the 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, travel by car and even by helicopter. In addition to meeting certain measurements, the perfect red spruce must not only be sturdy enough to support decorations but must also resemble the typical Christmas tree shape. Once one or more candidates are identified, the owners of the trees are contacted, and a delicate persuasion process begins. Over the years, many people have rejected the proposal of the New York gardening team, sometimes even due to emotional ties to the specific spruce. Trees are often gifted, although in some cases a small financial contribution is involved – as in 1996 when the tree was sold for approximately 1800 euros. The Christmas tree of 1995 was obtained only after ten years of requests: it belonged to nuns from a convent in New Jersey. Once the spruce is obtained, the Rockefeller Center takes care of planting a new tree or at least restoring the garden of the donors.

The most famous Christmas trees in New York's history

2023

2016

2017

2018

2019

2021

2022

Usually, the tree acquired for the Rockefeller Center setup is brought to New York between late October and early November – when traveling on the road, it is adorned with large red bows to make it recognizable and set the Christmas atmosphere. Upon arriving in the city's large square, it is erected with four steel guy wires and then decorated – the rows of lights are so numerous that they measure several kilometers in length. In 1997, the selected tree was spotted during a helicopter reconnaissance, and once cut, 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. 1999 was the year when the tallest tree ever was installed – it was a red spruce specimen about 30 meters tall, while the first Swarovski crystal star was placed in 2004. This year marks the official centennial of the New York Christmas tree tradition – originally, it was a advertiser who proposed and organized it. However, the initiative from which the idea originated took place two years earlier, in 1931 when some workers involved in the construction of the Rockefeller Center collected some money to decorate a small spruce with paper garlands.