The Christmas spirit took over New York on Wednesday with… Traditional lighting of the Rockefeller Center treea ritual that turns the Big Apple into a movie postcard every year. This time, the magic came accompanied by the voices of Marc Anthony and Michael Bublé and the impeccable energy of legendary dancers The Rockettes.
By late afternoon, even before five, thousands of people were already gathering behind the police stations on Fifth Avenue. Families, tourists, curious people and lovers of the Christmas spirit They were looking to secure a spot to see the majestic Norway spruce installed at the foot of the famous Rockefeller skyscraper up close. Shrugs, scarves, steam in the cold air – thermometer reading Only 1 degree– Mobile phones ready to record marked the introduction to the big show.
At eight o’clock in the evening, the NBC televised show hosted by the country star began. Reba McEntire. Top-notch performers paraded on stage and warmed the atmosphere with Christmas carols and infallible classics.
The most expected number, Mark AnthonyHe ignited the crowd with a salsa-based version of Jose Feliciano’s classic “Feliz Navidad / I Want to Wish You a Merry Christmas,” as well as his anthem “Live Life” that had even those whose feet no longer felt cold dancing.
Michael Bublethe owner of a sound that many identify directly with Christmas, did his thing with “It’s Starting to Look a Lot Like Christmas” and a duet with Carly Pearce With “Maybe this Christmas.”
The guest list continued to add sparkle: Gwen Stefani With “Happy Birthday”; Luffy and the delicate “Santa Claus is Coming to Town”; remake With “It’s Christmas (Around the World)”; and Halle Baileywhich distributed copies of “My Favorite Things” and “Silent Night.”
There was also room for more classic country: Brad Paisley He performed the song “A Marshmallow World” and Kristin Chenoweth He sang a duet with McIntyre Eternal “Silver Bells”.
Which can’t be missed Rocketscreated a century ago and part of New York’s festive DNA, dazzles once again with its precise precision and those distinctive synchronized movements that seem to defy the laws of balance.
The peak came at exactly 10 pm. The countdown echoed throughout the park: ten, nine, eight…until, In the midst of a collective scream, the tree was completely lit up.
Its green color was covered with a covering of 50,000 LEDs are distributed over eight kilometers of cableWhile one of the choirs sang “Joy to the World.” Above the edge shone a 2.7-meter star made of three million Swarovski crystals, a brilliance that could be seen from half the city.
this year, A Norway spruce measuring 23 meters tall, 14 meters in diameter and weighing 11 tons arrived from East Greenbusha suburb close to Albany. There it has been cared for for decades by the Ross family, who live on the same property that Judy Ross’s husband’s grandparents bought more than a century ago.
Judy and her son Liam, 7, were present when the tree arrived at Rockefeller Center. They donated it in honor of her husband, Dan Ross, who died in 2020 at the age of 32.
The family had visited New York last Christmas, and upon their return suggested their pine tree as a candidate. Dan and Judy used to joke about hiring a crane to decorate it or imagining that one day it would be chosen to be the Rockefeller Center tree.
“When we decided that maybe we should hire a crane to decorate it, we realized that this was more than just a tree in a park, it could be something really special,” Judy told NBC.
A spruce tree that is about 60 years old, It will be lit daily from 5 a.m. until midnightexcept for December 25, when it will be lit 24 hours a day. It will remain on display until mid-January.
As tradition dictates, when its mission is completed at Christmas, it will be reused to build homes by the NGO Habitat for Humanity. A way to extend your spirit beyond the holidays.