NEW YORK — For the first time in the tradition's 90-year history, the Christmas tree at Rockefeller Center will come from the state of Maryland.
The Rockefeller Center announced on Twitter that the tree is a 79-foot Norway Spruce from Elkton, Maryland. Weighing in at a staggering 12 tons, officials say the tree will be cut on November 12 and arrive in New York City on November 13. At 85 years old, the tree is nearly as old as the Christmas tree lighting itself.
The tradition of lighting a tree at Rockefeller Center dates back to 1931, when workers at Rockefeller Center pooled their money together to buy a 20-foot Balsam fir, which was decorated with handmade garlands made by their families.
Nearly a century later, the decorations are a little more extravagant. According to the Rockefeller Center's website, this year's tree will feature nearly 50,000 multicolored LED lights, using around five miles of wire. The tree will be topped with a 900-pound three-dimensional Swarovski star with 70 spikes, covered with 3 million crystals.
The tree will be lit on December 1. After that, it will be lit daily from 6 a.m. to midnight. On Christmas Day it will be lit for 24 hours.