Holiday Tree Lightings Brighten Up The City

In 2018, the Rockefeller Center Christmas tree lighting was broadcasted by NBC for the 21st time. I I Photo credit to Virginia Sherwood

Eight different tree lighting ceremonies will be held throughout the month of December in the city with live music and memories to take home. 

On Wednesday evening, the first ceremony lit up Rockefeller Plaza. With over 50,000 multicolored LED lights on the 12-ton tree, and featured performances from Derek Hough, Julianne Hough, Idina Menzel, Lea Michele, and NE-YO, according to SecretNYC. The televised event on NBC also showcased performances from Gwen Stefani, John Legend, and Brett Eldredge. 

King’s transfer student, Kaleigh Webb is experiencing her first holiday season in the city this year. 

“The best part of the evening was definitely the tree lighting up,” Webb said. “It was really magical seeing the tree light up, but it was literally just ten seconds of magic for like seven hours of standing in the freezing cold. When the tree lit up, I couldn’t feel my toes or my face or anything.”

Whether in person or from the couch, there is no denying to the extravagance of an NYC tree lighting. 

Large crowds gather for the 2019 New York Stock Exchange Christmas tree lighting. I I Photo credit to Kennedy Dickie

Until December 11, multiple other tree lightings will take place. The Bank of America Winter Village at Bryant Park, Central Park Holiday Lighting, Madison Square Park, and the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) all had ceremonies on December 5 at various times.

King’s sophomore, Kennedy Dickie, attended the NYSE ceremony for the first time. 

“I was super busy last Christmas season so I wanted to see as much as I could this year,” Dickie said. “I’m excited to see [a tree lighting] live because Christmas in NYC has such a glamorous reputation, and I want to experience it.” 

It’s not too late to catch a tree lighting ceremony before the semester ends. 

Holiday on the Hudson will be on December 7, followed by the Astoria Park Tree Lighting on December 8, and Washington Square Park’s ceremony wraps up the season on December 11. Attending these lightings can sometimes mean enduring cold temperatures, but multiple King’s students have chosen to make it a part of their college experience at some point. 

“I would definitely never do it again,” Webb said. “But, I’m glad I went.”