The First Christmas Tree in Times Square

Credit: https://untappedcities.com

Adding Christmas trees in Times Square is a tradition and a downright impressive one as well. The idea of celebrating Christmas in New York has been a great one, and the Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree stands out all the time. This is a massive Christmas tree designed to help celebrate Christmas in New York each year. It’s placed in midtown Manhattan, and the tree is always erected at one point in the middle of November; then, it’s lit in a public ceremony, which makes it distinct and downright amazing.

But how did this start? It all came down to the Rockefeller Center, which wanted to celebrate Christmas in New York the right way back in 1933. This was a very important time for the company, as it was celebrating 30 years since it first opened.

The workers decorated a small, 20-foot Christmas tree with balsam fir, a few tin cans, paper garlands, and some cranberries. They pooled the money to create that unlit tree. Do keep in mind that this was in the middle of the Depression era, so it was indeed quite a challenging and demanding time for everyone. But then again, it’s things like this that manage to show the dedication that people have when it comes to Christmas trees as a whole and how important they are!

While that was the first tree, it wasn’t the first official one. The official tree was unveiled in 1936, so a few years after that. It was around 50 feet, and it was a holiday beacon because not only was it amazingly high compared to the previous one, but it also had blue, white, and red unit globes, wooden stars, and patriotic decorations. It was a wonderful Christmas tree and the first one that was publicly available in a region like Times Square.

Obviously, things have evolved a lot since that unveiling, but it was nice to see this sort of thing up close and get input on it. In fact, this type of thing makes the experience as a whole very amazing since you have a clear insight into the beauty of these trees and how amazing they are, to begin with.

And while there are some rare photos where you can see that beautiful tree in action, it’s safe to say that the entire visual appeal of this tree was second to none. The simple fact that they managed to share a tree for Christmas in Times Square during those trying times was extraordinary. But yes, there were some missing things, and it certainly wasn’t the most visually enticing experience. But it was extraordinary and certainly one of the best things that you will find out about that particular era.

One thing is certain: Christmas in Times Square continues to have this tradition, so it’s safe to say that the Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree is one of the starting points when it comes to creating this type of unique, extraordinary Christmas experience.