One of the most magical things that happens during the Holiday season in New York City is the annual Rockefeller Christmas tree lighting ceremony. Thousands gather at 30 Rock in midtown Manhattan for the occasion. Millions of people watch it on television across the country. The ceremony is hosted by ‘Today’ show anchors: Natalie Morales, Al Roker, Savannah Guthrie and Matt Lauer. The 2014 tree is a 90 year old Norway Spruce. It’s an 85 foot tall tree and has 45,000 energy efficient LED lights on it. It weights a whopping 13 tons! The famous tree hails from Danville, Pennsylvania.
The festive annual event is noted for having a wide range of famous singers and performers at the ceremony to entertain. This year included Mariah Carey (famous for singing “All I Want For Christmas Is You,”) Cyndi Lauper, Lady Gaga and Tony Bennett, LeAnn Rimes, Darius Rucker, Avi Kaplan, Kristie Maldonado, Scott Hoying, Mitch Grassi and Olusola of Pentatonix, and Prince Royce. Of course the Rockettes of Radio City Music Hall performed, as they do annually.
The tree draws in tons of tourists from all over the globe. It is a landmark for New York City during the Holiday season. The lighting ceremony itself remains a treasured tradition for many and will remain popular for all of the years to come. One can see the gorgeous tree on display at Rockefeller Center until January 7th, 2015.
Until the ceremony next year, “Oh Christmas tree, oh Christmas tree!”