Christmas is coming to New York City. The 75-foot tall, 11-ton Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree is arriving on Saturday.
This year’s tree, a Norway spruce that’s 75 years old, is from East Greenbush, New York, the Rockefeller Center said. It was donated by the Russ family, who has had it on their property for over 60 years.
“I’m excited to make more cherished memories with my family and childhood friends as it becomes the world’s Christmas tree,” Judy Russ said in a statement.
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Erik Pauze, the head gardener for the Rockefeller Center, scouts for trees each year throughout New York, Connecticut, Massachusetts “and beyond,” he said.
“What I look for is a tree you’d want in your living room, but on a grander scale,” Pauze said earlier this year. “It needs to make people smile the second they see it.”
Visiting the Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree has been a tradition for New Yorkers and tourists for decades.
The “first” tree was erected in December 1931, when workers building the Rockefeller Center complex pooled their money to buy a 20-foot balsam fir and decorated it with garlands handmade by their families. In 1933, the Rockefeller Center made it an annual occurrence, and had the first tree lighting ceremony.
Tree lighting ceremony 2025
This year, the tree-lighting event will air live from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. ET Dec. 3 on NBC. More than 50,000 multi-colored LED lights will be placed on the tree on five miles of wire.
It is set to come down in mid-January. After that, the lumber from the tree will be donated to Habitat for Humanity, as it has been since 2007. At Habitat, the tree is milled into beams to use for building houses.
“Every tree we select not only brings joy to New Yorkers during the holiday season, but it also continues to give back long after it leaves Rockefeller Center,” Pauze said. “Knowing it will help build homes for families makes the process even more meaningful.”
