The Rockefeller Tree

The Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree is probably the most famous tree in the United States. Since 1931, a tree has been erected during the Christmas season. The tradition began during construction when workers decorated a twenty foot tree with "strings of cranberries, garlands of paper, and even a few tin cans." A few early years saw multiple trees, one year having as many as three. The tallest tree to date was in 1999 when a 100-foot tree was presented.

Each year, the man in charge of selecting the tree scouts for the perfect tree by helicopter. This year, a 72-foot Norway Spruce was selected from a home in New Jersey. Owner Bill Varanyak has called it the 'miracle tree', because the 77-year-old tree was planted after his parent's used it as their home Christmas tree in 1931 - the very same year Rockefeller began displaying a tree.

Some stats on this year's tree:

Height: 72 feet

Lights: Over 30,000 LED lights with 5 miles of wiring

Star: Sitting atop the tree, weighing 550 pounds and 10 feet in diameter, is a 25,000 crystal Swarovski star.

Going Green: The tree was cut with a two person saw and will be powered by 363 solar panels placed on top of the 30 Rock building. Once the season is over, the tree will be milled into boards and mulch, to be used in Habitat for Humanity projects in NYC, the Gulf Coast, India, and Brazil

Tomorrow, Wednesday, December 3 is the tree lighting ceremony.
You can watch the whole spectacle live on NBC at 8pm EST, and will feature performances by Beyonce, David Cook, Jonas Brothers, Faith Hill, Tony Bennett, Harry Connick Jr., and other stars.