The Unexpected Journey of Rockefeller Center’s Christmas Tree

THE Rockefeller Christmas Tree in New York City is the ultimate and most recognisable Christmas Tree in the world. The backdrop to so many Christmas movies like the iconic Home Alone 2, draws an estimated 125 million visitors each year. It is a Norway Spruce, standing at 80 feet tall, covered in 50,000 sparkling LED lights, and topped by a Swarovski crystal star with 70 spikes and three million crystals with LED lighting spots. 

That Looks Like a Rockefeller Christmas Tree

This immense tree is usually donated and then transported to the centre of New York where it sits as the heart of Christmas until January 13. This year Erik Pauze the head gardener for Rockefeller Center spotted the ideal tree for Christmas 2023 in the garden of the McGinley family in Vestal New York. The family reportedly couldn’t believe it when the Rockefeller truck parked outside their home and was followed by Erik knocking on the door to say ‘That looks like a Rockefeller Center Christmas tree.’

After many visits, to measure, water, and feed the chosen tree a large-scale logistical operation was organised to remove and transport it to midtown Manhattan. It is then decorated and made ready for the lighting ceremony aired by NBC every year in a public ceremony the Wednesday after Thanksgiving.

But, when the festivities are over and the lights are tucked away for yet another year where exactly does the tree go?

The Tree’s Unsung Feat of Giving

Worry not, as this is more of a Netflix Christmas special rather than the Grinch that Stole Christmas kind of article. In true Rockefeller Christmas spirit, the tree is given to Habitat for Humanity International. According to habitat.org, a new Christmas tradition began in 2007 when Tishman Speyer the owner and operator of  Rockefeller Centre generously decided to donate the tree to this wonderful organisation. 

The lumber, filled with Christmas magic, is used to help a family build their Habitat home. Jonathan Reckford the CEO of Habitat for Humanity International stated ‘The Rockefeller Center Christmas tree is a reminder to reflect, be thankful and to remember to give back to others among the hustle and bustle of the holidays. That symbol will live on as part of Habitat homeowners’ lives in their new houses.’

According to Habitat the lumber from a Norway Spruce is flexible and durable, and because of this can be used for anything from flooring to furniture. These magical Christmas trees have been used to build homes from New York to Mississippi. To see the complete list of homes built with this lumber click here.

A Little Bit of History…

The first Christmas tree was placed at Rockefeller Center in 1931 by Irish-American workers when they decorated a 20-foot balsam fir with strings of cranberry and paper garlands. Over the years the tree has grown, and the lighting and decorations are more extravagant but its presence as a symbol of hope and wonder is ever present and now lives on in the walls and floors of family homes throughout America.

For more heartwarming Christmas articles click here