Rock Center Christmas Tree Lands In New York
POSTED: 12:25 p.m. EST November 12, 2003
UPDATED: 2:36 p.m. EST November 14, 2003
NEW YORK -- It was a long commute, but one of the city's favorite holiday residents made it into town Wednesday morning.
Images: Rockefeller Christmas Tree Cut, Loaded
Christmas Tree: Visit Our Special Section
The Rockefeller Center Christmas tree, a 79-foot, 9-ton Norway spruce from a Connecticut couple's yard, arrived by barge on the city's west side. The tree, accompanied by some Radio City Music Hall Rockettes, was greeted by cheers and shouts from groups of schoolchildren who had gathered at the pier to watch its arrival. "I want to see how pretty it is," said 6-year-old Jing Wen Ngui. She and her 17 classmates from Public School 169 in the Sunset Park section of Brooklyn were holding a sign they made for the tree, which said, "Welcome to New York." The tree was planted by Frances Katkauskas and her husband, Adolph, 50 years ago at their Manchester, Conn., home. It was cut down Tuesday, and placed on a trailer for its trip to New York. The trailer was transported via barge. The tree was being kept overnight in an undisclosed location, and was scheduled to be brought to Rockefeller Center on Thursday, where it was to be hoisted into place. Workers will place over 30,000 lights and a 10-foot star on it. The tree is scheduled to be lighted in a televised ceremony on Dec. 3. It will be removed on Jan. 7. The tradition began in 1931, when workers building Rockefeller Center placed a small unadorned evergreen on the muddy construction site. Except for 1932, a tree has been erected in the plaza every year since. The first formal tree-lighting ceremony was held in 1933. The largest tree in Rockefeller Center history was a 100-footer, erected in 1999. Last year's tree was a 76-foot Norway spruce taken from a home in New Jersey.
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Rockefeller Center Tree ChosenImages: Rockefeller Christmas Tree Cut, LoadedChristmas Tree: Visit Our Special Section
The Rockefeller Center Christmas tree, a 79-foot, 9-ton Norway spruce from a Connecticut couple's yard, arrived by barge on the city's west side. The tree, accompanied by some Radio City Music Hall Rockettes, was greeted by cheers and shouts from groups of schoolchildren who had gathered at the pier to watch its arrival. "I want to see how pretty it is," said 6-year-old Jing Wen Ngui. She and her 17 classmates from Public School 169 in the Sunset Park section of Brooklyn were holding a sign they made for the tree, which said, "Welcome to New York." The tree was planted by Frances Katkauskas and her husband, Adolph, 50 years ago at their Manchester, Conn., home. It was cut down Tuesday, and placed on a trailer for its trip to New York. The trailer was transported via barge. The tree was being kept overnight in an undisclosed location, and was scheduled to be brought to Rockefeller Center on Thursday, where it was to be hoisted into place. Workers will place over 30,000 lights and a 10-foot star on it. The tree is scheduled to be lighted in a televised ceremony on Dec. 3. It will be removed on Jan. 7. The tradition began in 1931, when workers building Rockefeller Center placed a small unadorned evergreen on the muddy construction site. Except for 1932, a tree has been erected in the plaza every year since. The first formal tree-lighting ceremony was held in 1933. The largest tree in Rockefeller Center history was a 100-footer, erected in 1999. Last year's tree was a 76-foot Norway spruce taken from a home in New Jersey.
Copyright 2003 by WNBC.com The Associated Press contributed to this report. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
