The Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree Lighting is New York City’s iconic kickoff to the holiday season, held each year at Rockefeller Plaza in Midtown Manhattan. A giant Norway spruce, decorated with tens of thousands of multicolored LED lights and topped with a Swarovski crystal star, is lit in front of large crowds during a festive ceremony featuring live music and celebrity performances, broadcast nationally on NBC. A tradition dating back to the 1930s, the tree stays on display through early January.
