Get ready to rock around this year's enormous Rockefeller Center Christmas tree
Every year, Christmas lovers from around the country kick off the holiday season with the annual Rockefeller Center Christmas tree lighting in New York City. Whether they tune in to watch on TV or make a trip to the Big Apple, spectators can catch a slew of festive performances, all designed to celebrate the main attraction: the giant Christmas tree that sits front and center above the iconic skating rink.
But here’s the big question: How much do you really know about the Rockefeller Center tree? If you’re eager to get into the holiday spirit and want to know everything—from when the tree lighting kicks off to how to catch the ceremony to some surprising fun facts—you’re in the right place.
Keep reading as we unwrap details about the Rockefeller Center Christmas tree 2025 and the history of this iconic Christmas tradition.
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What is the Rockefeller Center Christmas tree like this year?
The 2025 Rockefeller Center Christmas tree is a towering 75-foot Norway spruce from East Greenbush, New York, just outside Albany. Estimated to be around 75 years old, the stately evergreen was donated by the Russ family, who said they were thrilled to see their longtime backyard tree become “the world’s Christmas tree.” On Thursday, Nov. 6, crews carefully cut down the 11-ton tree before hoisting it onto a flatbed truck for its roughly 130-mile journey to New York City.
Once it arrives, the spruce will be raised in Rockefeller Center on Saturday, Nov. 8, for decoration.
How is the Rockefeller Center Christmas tree decorated?
So what does it take to decorate a 75-foot-tall, 45-foot-wide Christmas tree? Once the Rockefeller Center tree reaches Center Plaza, it will be adorned with more than 50,000 multicolored LED lights.
And like its predecessors, this Rockefeller Center tree won’t have any Christmas ornaments. Instead, a breathtaking 9-foot Swarovski star, designed in 2018 by architect Daniel Libeskind, will shine brilliantly from above, creating a true holiday masterpiece. Shockingly, the star weighs 900 pounds and is encrusted with 3 million crystals.
ANGELA WEISS/AFP/Getty Images
How is the Rockefeller Center Christmas tree chosen?
Every year, Rockefeller Center’s head gardener, Erik Pauze, searches far and wide for the perfect Christmas tree—a job he’s been doing for more than 30 years. He spends months scouting backyards and fields in Christmas towns, from New York and Connecticut to Massachusetts and beyond, always looking for that one tree with the “wow” factor.
“What I look for is a tree you’d want in your living room, but on a grander scale,” Pauze says on the Rockefeller Center’s website. “It needs to make people smile the second they see it.”
The Russ family’s tree caught his eye after a Rockefeller Center security supervisor shared a photo of it. One look was all it took. He even returned several times throughout the year to check on and care for the tree himself—a personal touch that’s become part of his tradition.
When is the Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony?
The 2025 Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony takes place on Wednesday, Dec. 3 at 8 p.m. EST. Once the dazzling lights are switched on, the tree will shine bright every day from 5 a.m. to midnight, giving New Yorkers and visitors alike plenty of time to soak in the holiday magic. And on Christmas Eve, the iconic spruce glows all day and night.
When New Year’s Eve rolls around, the lights will dim a little earlier at 9 p.m. EST, as the city turns its attention to the Times Square festivities. The Rockefeller tree stays on display into early January, before it’s taken down and repurposed.
How do I watch the Rockefeller Center Christmas tree lighting?
If you want to watch the tree-lighting ceremony from the comfort of your home, you can tune in to NBC’s live TV broadcast, Christmas in Rockefeller Center. It’s available on Peacock and NBC 4 New York.
What will happen to the Rockefeller Center tree after Christmas?
The Rockefeller Center Christmas tree will remain on display until mid-January 2025. Though Rockefeller Center has yet to announce exactly when it’ll take the tree down, you can rest assured that it will be put to good use. Rockefeller Center will continue its longstanding tradition of donating the tree to Habitat for Humanity so it can be milled, treated and made into lumber for homes.
Lawrence D. Thornton/Frederic Lewis/Getty Images
What else should I know about the Rockefeller Center Christmas tree?
It may be the most famous Christmas tree in America, but its history is hardly well-known. Brush up on these facts before watching the 2025 Rockefeller Center tree lighting.
The inaugural Rockefeller Christmas tree lighting in 1933 dazzled with 700 sparkling lights.
NBC first broadcast the Rockefeller Center tree lighting in 1951 on The Kate Smith Show, and in the mid-1950s, it appeared on The Howdy Doody Show.
The 50th anniversary of the Rockefeller Christmas tree lighting in the ’80s featured a special appearance by Bob Hope.
In a gesture of goodwill, Canada gifted the Rockefeller Center Christmas tree to the United States in 1966 as part of the country’s centennial celebration.
To create a snowy, wintry look, the Rockefeller Center Christmas tree was painted silver in 1949.
The tree first shone with a Swarovski star topper in 2004, marking a new (and sparkly) tradition.
If you laid out all the wires from the Rockefeller Christmas tree lights end to end, they would stretch an impressive 5 miles.
In 2021, Maryland had the honor of providing the Rockefeller Center Christmas tree for the very first time.
For over 30 years, Erik Pauze, affectionately known as the “Santa Claus of Christmas trees,” has handpicked the iconic Rockefeller Center Christmas tree.
In 1942, Rockefeller Center displayed three Christmas trees, each adorned in red, white and blue to boost the patriotic spirit during World War II.
Approximately 125 million people visit the Rockefeller Center Christmas tree each year, with around 500,000 to 750,000 estimated visits per day.
While some families have received small compensation for donating their Christmas tree, most aren’t paid; they usually receive free landscaping after the tree is removed.
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