The Rockefeller Christmas Tree Will Feature More Than 50,000 LEDs and 3 Million Crystals

From Good Housekeeping

The holiday season is here, and just like every other year, it calls for a beautiful Christmas tree, festive movies, and cheerful decorations galore. But besides all of that, there's another magical tradition you can look forward to really soon: the lighting of the Christmas tree at Rockefeller Center in New York City.

Since 1931, Rockefeller Center (a.k.a. the home of NBC) has lit up a massive Christmas tree to reflect the merriment of the season. Whether you’re going to see the majestic evergreen in person or are planning to watch the broadcast coverage of the lighting from your couch, here’s all the info to know about the 87th annual Rockefeller Christmas tree ceremony.

When is the Rockefeller Christmas tree lighting in 2019?

The Rockefeller Christmas tree lighting ceremony in 2019 will take place on Wednesday, December 4 from 8 p.m. to 10 p.m. ET. Adorned with thousands of ornaments and topped off with a star made up of three million Swarovski crystals, the tree will be lit up with more than 50,000 multi-colored LEDs.

Every year, crowds gather around to witness the magnificent tree up close. If you’d rather watch from the comfort of your own home though, you can tune in to NBC’s live broadcast, Christmas in Rockefeller Center.

Last year, Today anchors Savannah Guthrie, Al Roker, and Craig Melvin hosted the holiday special. The celebration also featured festive musical performances by Diana Ross, Tony Bennett, and Kelli Pickler, among others. This year's performance lineup hasn't been announced yet, but we will update this post once we know more.

Where did the Rockefeller Christmas tree come from?

This year’s Rockefeller Christmas tree comes from the small town of Florida, New York. Standing at 77 feet tall and weighing in at about 12 tons, the Norway spruce officially arrived at the plaza on November 9 after a two-day journey to New York City.

The tree was originally planted in 1959 by Carol Schultz, who always envisioned it becoming part of Rockefeller Center history. "I always said, 'You're going to be up in Rockefeller Center someday and you're going to be a beautiful tree when you get older,'" she told Today.

How long will the Rockefeller Christmas tree be up?

You’ll have the chance to visit the tree in Midtown Manhattan from 6 a.m. ET to midnight daily until January 17, 2020. After that, it'll be taken down and donated to Habitat for Humanity.

For the 13th consecutive year, the Rockefeller Christmas tree will be turned into lumber and used to build Habitat homes across the United States.

For can't-miss news, expert beauty advice, genius home solutions, delicious recipes, and lots more, sign up for the Good Housekeeping newsletter.

SUBSCRIBE NOW

You Might Also Like

• 40+ Gorgeous Kitchen Design Ideas You'll Want to Steal

• 7 Genius Ways to Kill Fruit Flies

• 37 Genius Double-Duty Organizing Ideas