First Tuesday in December
Rockefeller Center

The search for the perfect Christmas tree takes several months each year and covers multiple states; often the tree is a gift, a cheerful donation to New York from a rural farm or estate. Once in place, tens of thousands of lights are installed on the tree’s branches and then, just after dark on the first Tuesday in December, the switch is thrown and Rockefeller Center glows with Yuletide cheer. December weather is usually cold but the tight–pressed crowds that throng the blocks around Rockefeller Center keep each other warm.