Rockefeller Center Christmas tree lighting Nov 29, 2023

Rockefeller Center Christmas tree lighting

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:

Mar 16, 2019Quilts as high art
Jun 23, 2019Adorable activism
Dec 25, 2021Merry Christmas
Mar 29, 2019A place called ‘Peace’ in India
May 6, 2023Azaleas blooming on Hwangmaesan Mountain, South Korea
Sep 27, 2024Basilica of Santa Maria della Salute, Venice, Italy
Feb 22, 2019A rest stop for the birds
Nov 7, 2023Kirkilai lakes, Biržai Regional Park, Lithuania
Jan 6, 2020Have fun storming the castle
Jul 16, 2024Festival of British Archaeology
Dec 26, 2018Boxing Day—a shopper’s delight
Dec 12, 2018The story of the poinsettia
Feb 11, 2021It’s showtime for a precious crop
Mar 5, 2021Reflecting on one of the world s strangest rivers
Mar 16, 2021Why does this panda cub look so happy?
Dec 11, 2025International Mountain Day
Jul 4, 2025Happy Fourth of July!
Jan 2, 2025Ardez, Graubunden, Switzerland
Nov 1, 2024Native American Heritage Month
May 7, 2020Where the wildflowers grow
Feb 12, 2023Blue-footed booby, Galápagos Islands
Apr 1, 2024April Fools Day
Oct 13, 2021Celebrating a young girl s age-old discovery
Aug 2, 2024Virgin Islands National Park established
Jun 13, 2022Okavango Delta, Botswana
Mar 27, 2020Pretty in pink, and purple, and red…
Aug 10, 2023World Lion Day
Sep 8, 2025International Literacy Day
Feb 3, 2024Carnival of Venice
Jul 10, 2025Independence Day of the Bahamas