Christmas lights bring joy to millions every year, but where did they come from?
WEST STOCKBRIDGE, Mass. – A beloved symbol of the holiday season, visited by more than 100 million people in the heart of New York, will soon be in the Big Apple following an extensive search for the best tree around.
The 2024 Rockefeller Center Christmas tree will hail from the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, where the 74-foot-tall Norway Spruce has spent decades growing on a property in the town of West Stockbridge, near the New York state line.
According to the Rockefeller Center, Erik Pauze, the head gardener, was on an excursion to find potential candidates when he came across the tree growing on the Albert family’s property.
“The process [for this year’s Tree] began in July 2020. I came from getting gas after staying overnight Tree searching. I saw the beautiful Norway Spruce as I drove down the road, and it was right in front of me. I knocked on the door and met Earl Albert. I asked if he would someday consider donating the Tree to Rockefeller Center. His answer was immediately yes,” Pauze told the Center Magazine.
Pauze said any tree that gets the nod must pass strict criteria, but most importantly, it should put a smile on the faces of children looking forward to Dec. 25.
The 2024 Rockefeller Center Christmas tree in Massachusetts.
(Rockefeller Center / FOX Weather)
According to arborists, the recent drought in the Northeast likely has not significantly impacted aged trees.
Although the species is less drought-resistant than other trees, the Albert family’s tree age aids in its resilience to withstand drought conditions.
Once Pauze found the tree, he did his best to make sure nothing happened to the prized possession.
“I would drive by every so often to check in on the tree. In the spring of this year, I decided to call Earl and ask if I could start feeding it and watering it. I came up quite often to feed the Tree, and every time I got out of the car, I smiled and knew it was the right one for Rockefeller Center,” Pauze told the Center Magazine.
The tree is expected to be cut down in early November before arriving at its new home in New York City’s Rockefeller Plaza on Nov. 9.
Jennifer Greene, executive director of the North Carolina Christmas Tree Association, says the industry is set to bounce back after the catastrophic damage of Hurricane Helene.
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The Rockefeller Center Christmas tree lighting ceremony is scheduled to take place on Wednesday, Dec. 4.
According to the New-York Historical Society, the first tree lighting ceremony was held in 1933, but the first tree in Midtown Manhattan was erected by construction workers in 1931.
This year’s 74-foot-tall Norway Spruce will be decorated with more than 50,000 multi-colored LEDs and will be on display until mid-January.
After the holiday season, the tree will be ground into lumber for Habitat for Humanity.
The nonprofit organization says wood milled from a Norway Spruce is often more flexible and ideal for the construction of affordable housing.