The Rockefeller Center Christmas tree stands illuminated following the ninetieth annual lighting ceremony, on Nov. 30, 2022, in New York.

Julia Nikhinson/AP

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Julia Nikhinson/AP

The Rockefeller Center Christmas tree stands illuminated following the ninetieth annual lighting ceremony, on Nov. 30, 2022, in New York.

Julia Nikhinson/AP

The Rockefeller Center Christmas tree is coming to city. The Center has picked the large tree that, per custom, it can show in its plaza this yr in New York City.

The tree is coming from Vestal, N.Y., is 80 to 85 years outdated, weighs 12 tons and is about 80 toes tall and 43 toes huge. It will land at Rockefeller Center Plaza on Nov. 11, accompanied by a ceremony with e-book readings, letters to Santa and decoration making.

Erik Pauze has chosen the tree for the previous 30 years. As the top gardener on the Rockefeller Center, he’s answerable for discovering the tree, feeding and watering it, trimming it, measuring it and transporting it, a typically monthslong course of.

Pauze began as a “summer helper” on the Rockefeller Center in 1988 and now manages the entire Center’s gardens. But he thinks in regards to the annual Christmas bushes nearly each day, he mentioned in an interview with the Center’s journal.

“What I look for is a tree you would want in your living room, but on a grander scale. It’s got that nice, perfect shape all around,” he mentioned. “And most of all, it’s gotta look good for those kids who turn the corner at 30 Rock; it needs to instantly put a huge smile on their faces. It needs to evoke that feeling of happiness.”

The Rockefeller Center Christmas trees are Norway spruces, that are good due to their measurement and sturdiness, Pauze mentioned. The largest tree up to now has been the 1999 tree, which was 100 toes tall and got here from Killingworth, Conn.

This yr’s tree will probably be adorned with over 50,000 lights, overlaying about 5 miles of wire.

It is topped by a star that has about 70 spikes, 3 million Swarovski crystals and weighs about 900 kilos. The Swarovski Star was first launched in 2004.

The lighting ceremony will air on NBC at 8 p.m. ET Nov. 29. The tree will probably be taken down on Jan. 13, 2024.

The custom of the Rockefeller Center tree began in 1931, when staff pitched in to purchase a 20-foot balsam fir and adorned it with handmade garlands. The Rockefeller Center turned it into an annual custom two years later and had its first official lighting ceremony.

The notable ice skating rink that sits beneath the tree was launched in 1936.