Rockefeller Center Christmas tree arrives in Manhattan, a 76-foot spruce

New York. The Rockefeller Center Christmas tree arrived in Manhattan on Saturday morning, officially kicking off the city's holiday season. Hundreds of people gathered on the plaza to watch a crane lift it off its trailer and set it in place, above the ice skating rink.

The Norway spruce stands 76 feet (about 23 meters) tall, measures about 50 feet across and weighs around 11 tons. It is approximately 75 years old and was donated by Rebecca Decker of West Edmeston, in upstate New York, about 200 miles from the city. It was cut down on Thursday, November 5, and transported on a 100-foot trailer.

The arrival was celebrated with “Meet the Tree Day,” a day of family activities and artificial snow, held for the second consecutive year. The tree will stand between 49th and 50th Streets and Fifth and Sixth Avenues.

The official lighting ceremony will take place on Wednesday, December 2, from 7 to 10 p.m., broadcast by NBC. The tree will feature more than 50,000 multicolored LED lights and its 900-pound Swarovski crystal star.

The tree will remain on display until January 9, 2027. Once the season ends, its wood will be milled into lumber for housing projects by the nonprofit Habitat for Humanity.

Photo: New York Post

Source: New York Post