In New York, Rockefeller Center’s famous Christmas tree sparkled with fifty thousand lights as it was lit up on Wednesday night. The annual tradition drew cheers from the excited crowd gathered to witness the spectacle.
Originally from a small town in Massachusetts, the massive Norway spruce was adorned with a dazzling Swarovski star crown embellished with 3 million crystals.
Standing at 74 feet tall (23 meters), the tree was chopped down in West Stockbridge last month and transported to Rockefeller Plaza. The lighting ceremony on Wednesday evening marked the end of the tree’s remarkable journey to New York. It all began in 2020 when the head gardener of Rockefeller Center discovered the tree and approached the owners about donating it.
The famous holiday attraction, located above the Rockefeller Center ice skating rink, will be on view through mid-January. On Christmas Day, the tree will be lit for 24 hours.
Once the holiday season is over, the tree will be used for lumber for Habitat for Humanity.
Security was stepped up for the annual tree-lighting ceremony after a gunman on Wednesday morning killed UnitedHealthcare’s CEO outside a midtown Manhattan hotel about five blocks from Rockefeller Center. Chief of Department Jeffrey B. Maddrey said earlier in the day there would be “massive presence” of police, including additional officers in the subway.
“This is a terrible event, but people are going to go on and enjoy the tree lighting tonight,” he said.
Copyright 2024 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.
