Rockefeller Center Christmas tree lighting Nov 29, 2023

As December approaches, New York gears up for a sparkling spectacle. On November 29, the Rockefeller Center Tree Lighting will bring you festive vibes. The roots of this holiday tradition go back to 1931, when builders put up a balsam fir to show gratitude for their jobs amid the bleakness of the Great Depression. That tree was decorated with paper garlands and tin cans and in 1933 the first tree-lighting ceremony took place. Today, this towering Norway spruce is adorned with over 50,000 multicolored LED lights and topped with a Swarovski crystal star. The illumination of the 80-foot tree is a full-blown extravaganza with musical performances and celebrity sightings. Its mesmerizing glow marks the official arrival of the holiday season in the city that never sleeps, and you don"t want to miss it!

© Jonathan Orenstein/Getty Images

palette

Today in History

Nov 29, 2018A Christmas market with a long history
Nov 29, 2019Opt outside today
Nov 29, 2020New Zealand s loneliest mountain
Nov 29, 2021Rainbow Mountain
Nov 29, 2022Giving Tuesday
Nov 29, 2024Mont-Saint-Michel, Normandy, France
Nov 29, 2025Red deer stag in De Hoge Veluwe National Park, Netherlands

More Desktop Wallpapers:

Jul 27, 2025Barracudas at Shark Reef, Ras Mohammed National Park, Sinai Peninsula, Egypt
Aug 31, 2018Let’s have a ball
Mar 11, 2020Anybody out there?
Jul 24, 2023Cousins Day
Apr 10, 2021Bear cubs roughhouse on Siblings Day
Jul 14, 2024La Geria wine region, Lanzarote, Canary Islands
Aug 16, 2021Let s ride! It s Roller Coaster Day
Feb 17, 2023Great Backyard Bird Count
Sep 8, 2024International Literacy Day
Dec 2, 2021Denali National Park
Jun 26, 2025Horse Head Rock, New South Wales, Australia
Jun 26, 2021Spectacular views below!
Sep 10, 2022Mid-Autumn Festival
Aug 30, 2024International Whale Shark Day
Nov 3, 2018A bison preserve
Aug 25, 2022National Park Service Founders Day
Nov 26, 2025World Olive Tree Day
May 19, 2021A path lain with petals
Feb 28, 2020Looking down on the Otter
May 14, 2025Porto Flavia, Sardinia, Italy
Feb 3, 2023Quebec City for Winter Carnival
Apr 9, 2026Sgwd yr Eira waterfall, Bannau Brycheiniog National Park, Wales
Sep 11, 2020In honor of those we ve lost
Jul 16, 2023Bear Hole Brook, Catskill Mountains, New York
Aug 11, 2025Village of Santa Maddalena, Dolomites, Italy
Aug 12, 2025World Elephant Day
Jun 28, 2023Pride Month
Dec 31, 2021New Year s Eve
Dec 8, 2020A fortress in the sky
Feb 29, 2024Leap day