Following its lighting ceremony, the tree will remain lit from 6 a.m. to 12 a.m. local time daily. On December 25, the tree will be lit for 24 hours, while on New Year’s Eve, it will be lit from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. local time.
But ever wonder how large the giant tree and its shining star actually are?
How Tall Is the Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree?
The Rockefeller Center Christmas tree for 2021 stands 79 feet tall and 46 feet wide. The Norway spruce weighs 12 tons and hails from Elkton, a town in the northeastern part of Maryland, according to the Rockefeller Center website.
The tree arrived in the Big Apple on November 13 to allow enough time for it to be fully dressed up for its big day of lighting. It has been decorated with over 50,000 multi-colored LED lights on approximately five miles of wire, according to the center.
How Much Does the Star Weigh?
Featuring 70 spikes covered in three million crystals, the Rockefeller Christmas tree’s three-dimensional Swarovski star weighs around 900 pounds and measures nine feet by four inches in diameter, according to Swarovski.
The dazzling centerpiece was designed by architect Daniel Libeskind in 2018. Libeskind is known for designing various cultural spaces and monuments, including the master plan for the reconstruction of New York City’s World Trade Center site, as well as the Denver Art Museum in Colorado and the Jewish Museum in Berlin, Germany.
At the time of its unveiling in 2018, Libeskind said the star is inspired by “the beauty of starlight—something that radiates meaning and mystery into the world.”
The architect explained the star is “a symbol that represents our greatest ambitions for hope, unity and peace.”
A Brief History of the Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree
The famed Christmas tree has stood in New York for over 80 years. Back in December 1931, workers at Rockefeller Center were reported to have pooled their money together to buy a Christmas tree, according to the Rockefeller Center website.
The 20 foot-high balsam fir was decorated by the men with handmade garlands made by their families.
A couple of years later in December 1933, the center decided to make the tree a yearly tradition and held its first-ever tree lighting ceremony that year.
During World War II, the tree featured simple and patriotic designs, such as red, white, and blue unlit globes and painted wooden stars.
From 1942 until the end of World War II, the tree was not lit up due to blackout regulations.
In 1999, the largest Christmas tree in Rockefeller Center history was unveiled. The tree from Killingworth, Connecticut stood 100 feet tall.
