Lighting up the season
The 2014 Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree. Courtesy of Gray Line New York
A traditional symbol of Christmas in New York City, the Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree opens for public viewing for the 83rd year December 2 and launches the festivities of the season, according to rockefellercenter.com.
Andrea Bocelli, Sting, Carly Rae Jepsen, the Rockettes, and Pentatonix will perform at the 2015 lighting, according to nbcumv.com, but the tree will still take center stage. However, visitors to the tree often do not realize the journey that the evergreen embarks on before it is put on display.
Courtesy of nydailynews.com.
This year’s 78 foot Norway Spruce grew in Gardiner, New York on the property of Mr. Albert Asendorf, according to today.com. Mr. Asendorf moved here as a child, when the Spruce was only 20 feet tall, and used the evergreen as a fort and playhouse, according to nypost.com.
When Mr. Erik Pauze, Rockefeller Center’s head gardener, first discovered the tree, he climbed 65 feet of it on a routine check for flaws and imperfections. After selecting Mr. Asendorf’s tree, Mr. Pauze visited it once a week, treating it with various fertilizers, and soaking it with 1,800 gallons of water on each visit, according to nypost.com.
A removal crew arrived at Mr. Asendorf’s house November 4, and began tying up the branches. From this point on, an armed guard was stationed in front of the tree from 3:00 pm to 8:00 am to protect it from possible sabotage.
Every year, an arsenal of gardeners sweep the nation in search of the perfect evergreen to grace Rockefeller Center. The head gardener will only consider trees that are at least 35 feet wide and 65 feet tall, although most selected trees, like Mr. Asendorf’s, are Norway Spruces between 75 and 90 feet tall according to nyc.com.
Courtesy of newyorksightseeing.com.
According to nypost.com, Rockefeller Center gardeners cut the tree down and transfer it onto a custom made trailer with the help of a 280 ton hydraulic crane. When the tree arrives in New York City, police escort it to Rockefeller Center at night to avoid causing traffic, according to nyc.com. After this lengthy process, the tree is fit to be called the “Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree,” and decoration commences.
With approximately 45,000 strands of multicolored lights and a nine and a half foot Swarovski crystal star, the ten ton Norway Spruce will light up Rockefeller Center.
– Elizabeth Bachmann, Co-Features Editor
