Christmas comes to New York City Nov 28, 2018

Christmas comes to New York City

The Rockefeller Center Christmas tree draws throngs of people to Midtown each year to celebrate the holidays. The tradition started in the 1930s, when construction workers at Rockefeller Center pooled their money to buy a tree. Officials at Rockefeller Center later formalized the event, especially today’s lighting ceremony, which will be attended by thousands of onlookers. Each year’s tree is selected by the head gardener at Rockefeller Center and topped with a huge star adorned with Swarovski crystals. This year, the tree introduces a new star designed by architect Daniel Libeskind—it weighs 900 pounds, is more than 9 feet in diameter, and features 70 spikes and three million crystals outfitted with LED lights to emit rays in all directions. In January, the tree is milled, and the lumber donated to Habitat for Humanity. We think Santa would approve.

© Thorney Lieberman/Getty Images

palette

Today in History

Nov 28, 2019Wild turkeys in repose
Nov 28, 2021Celebrating Panama s independence
Nov 28, 2022Red Planet Day
Nov 28, 2023Giving Tuesday
Nov 28, 2024Happy Thanksgiving!
Nov 28, 2025Celebrating Native American Heritage Day

More Desktop Wallpapers:

Jul 23, 2020At the foot of Dubrovnik s Gibraltar
Dec 23, 2019A Festivus for the rest of us
May 9, 2021Happy Mother s Day!
Aug 11, 2023Edinburgh Art Festival
Sep 25, 2024Sequoia National Parks 134th anniversary
May 25, 2024Aït Benhaddou, Morocco
Jul 8, 2019Make your way up a picturesque passageway of Chefchaouen
Mar 16, 2022Panda Day
Mar 18, 2026Cherry blossoms at Tom McCall Waterfront Park, Portland, Oregon
Sep 20, 2025Oktoberfest begins!
Mar 29, 2022Northern coast of Colombia
Mar 23, 2026World Meteorological Day
Nov 24, 2019Autumn in the cypress swamp
Apr 18, 2024International Day for Monuments and Sites
May 19, 2021A path lain with petals
Jan 11, 2023Umschreibung by Olafur Eliasson in Munich
Aug 13, 2022Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness
Oct 16, 2025A Eurasian lynx in Siberia
Apr 21, 2025International Dark Sky Week
Jan 12, 2019Sailing across the ice
Jul 14, 2025Shark Awareness Day
Apr 7, 2022Málaga, Spain
Apr 20, 2020In the Garden of Europe
Feb 22, 2024Bathing boxes at Brighton Beach, Australia
Jul 4, 2022Independence Day
Apr 22, 2024Earth Day
Jul 14, 2019Nesting season for the leatherbacks
Jul 29, 2025International Tiger Day
Jun 24, 2022Cenote near Puerto Aventuras, Mexico
Dec 4, 2025International Cheetah Day