Raised each holiday season at Rockefeller Center, the Christmas tree grew from a modest 20-foot fir put up by construction workers on Christmas Eve 1931 into an annual New York ritual and national holiday symbol. The first official tree was lit in 1933, and over time the display expanded with larger trees, elaborate decorations, herald angels in the Channel Gardens, and televised lighting ceremonies. Its history has reflected wider events, from wartime blackouts and patriotic decorations to modern broadcast spectacle. Donated each year, the tree is carefully selected, transported, illuminated, and later recycled, sustaining a tradition rooted in Depression-era generosity.

New York, New York · USA