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Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree Lights Up NYC for the Holidays
December 5, 2024, 12:56.17 am ET

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Photos by Diane Bondareff, AP Images for Tishman Speyer

The Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree, a towering Norway spruce from the small town of West Stockbridge, Massachusetts, came to life on Wednesday, December 4, 2024, in a dazzling ceremony broadcast nationwide. Adorned with over 50,000 LED lights and crowned with a Swarovski crystal star, the tree now serves as the centerpiece of New York City’s holiday season, standing as both a symbol of tradition and a testament to renewal.

This year’s tree, the first from Massachusetts since 1959, was cut on November 7 and arrived at Rockefeller Plaza two days later, greeted by festive crowds during the annual Tree Arrival Family Festivities. At over 80 feet tall, it had reached its maximum size, outgrowing its Southern Berkshires home.

Its journey, however, does not end with the holidays. In mid-January, after delighting millions of visitors, the tree will be milled into lumber and donated to Habitat for Humanity. This transformation ensures the tree continues its legacy, providing materials for homes built by the organization. Meanwhile, new trees will be planted on the donor’s property, completing a cycle of giving and regrowth.

For now, the spruce glows brightly each evening, its lights shining from 5 a.m. to midnight on weekdays and until 1 a.m. on weekends, with special hours for Christmas and New Year’s Eve. As visitors from around the world gather beneath its branches, the tree remains a beacon of joy and tradition in the heart of the city.



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