Has the Rockefeller Center Christmas tree for 2023 been chosen? Height and other details explored

The holiday season is just around the corner and Rockefeller Center has already picked the Christmas Tree to display in its landmark plaza in New York City. The news was shared on Wednesday, November 01, 2023, via the building's official X account, @rockcenternyc with the caption:

"Meet the 2023 Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree."

According to the post, an 80-year-old tree from Vestal, New York has been selected for this year's display. Standing 80 feet tall and 43 feet wide, the Norway Spruce weighs around 12 tons. The spruce is set to be cut down from Vestal on Thursday, November 9, and brought to the Rockefeller Plaza in Manhattan where it will be displayed for the holiday celebrations.

The arrival of the 80-foot plant would be marked by fun activities including ornament decoration and face painting at the South Plaza from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. The organizers have also included a kid-friendly performance of holiday season classic songs by the Rock and Roll Playhouse and a reading event by independent bookstore McNally Jackson.

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The tradition of the Rockefeller Center tree began in 1931 when construction workers put up the first-ever Christmas tree

The tradition of the Rockefeller Center Plaza Christmas tree goes back to 1931 when construction workers pitched in to buy a 20-foot balsam fir and then decorated it with handmade garlands. Two years later the complex made it a tradition with an official lighting ceremony.

Erik Pauze, the head gardener at the complex has been responsible for choosing the Chrismas Trees for the last 30 years. He waters it, trims it, measures it, and even is responsible for transporting the tree. The whole process can take up to a month.

Pauze started working as a summer intern at the Rockefeller Center in 1988 and worked up to his current position. In an interview with the Center's magazine, he talked about the Christmas custom and how he narrows down the tree. He said,

"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."

He explained that usually Christmas trees at the plaza are Norway Spruces as they are sturdy and grow big in size. The largest one that adorned the plaza was a 100-foot-tall tree from Killingworth, Conn, that was hoisted in place in 1999.

The head gardener elaborated that the spruce would be adorned with more than 50,000 multi-colored LED lights that are strung on a 5-mile-long wire. The tree would be topped off with a 9-foot, 900-pound Swarovski star that would be covered in 3 million crystals.

As per NBC's schedule, the tree lighting show would start around 7 p.m. ET on Wednesday, November 29, 2023. The show would be live-streamed on NBC and its affiliate streaming sites. Kelly Clarkson would host as well as perform at the show.

As per NBC, following the holiday season, the tree would be converted to lumber and donated to Habitat for Humanity.