The Granddaddy of All Christmas Trees Gets Its Moment Tonight

Gridlock alert! Gridlock alert!
Ah, there's nothing like the sounds of the holidays in New York. Today is one of the biggest gridlock alert days of the year, because what is arguably the most famous Christmas tree in the country gets all decked out tonight in the Rockefeller Center tree lighting ceremony. (Yes, dear reader, we told you about the tree’s arrival in the city several weeks ago…)
The tree lighting itself takes place at 8:55 PM, but the festivities start around 6:45 PM. Shakira (no doubt shaking her hips) will be on hand to get things going, and Alicia Keys and Barry Manilow (will they have anything to say to each other??) are among the celebrities slated to be on hand. (The event, which features musical performances and endless banter, will also be televised on NBC-TV.)
Rockefeller Center is located between 47th and 50th Streets and 5th and 7th Avenues. If you do plan on going, take our advice: Get there early, take mass transit, and be prepared to stake out a spot and defend it no matter what.
The tree is generally lit daily from early morning until about 11:30 PM; on Christmas, the tree will remain lit for 24 hours. It will remain on view until January 7.
The tree will be draped in five miles of lights and topped with a Swarovski crystal star.

The Tree We've All Been Waiting For Has Arrived

It’s heeeeere! The Rockefeller Center Christmas tree has arrived.
The 76-foot-high Norway spruce, which belonged to fifth-grade teacher Maria Corti, was cut down in Easton, Conn. yesterday. It was transported to New York City on a special flatbed truck, and was hoisted into place this morning. (The tree generally travels during the night with a police escort; it usually takes 15-20 people and a 280-ton crane to handle the behemoth.)
The tree clocks in at more than 10 tons; it's 40 feet in diameter. Minimum requirements say that the tree must be at least 65 feet tall and 35 feet wide; although between 75 and 90 feet high is favored. A Norway spruce is generally preferred (they’re not native to this country, but many were planted ornamentally), and if you were wondering, no money changes hands--it’s the pride of having your tree assume its place near the Prometheus Statue and the ice skating rink.
The tree will be covered in scaffolding as workers start adorning it--over five miles of lights are used to decorate the tree every year.
The first Rockefeller Center Christmas tree was erected in 1931 as workers were building the complex during the depression. First tree lighting? 1933.
The tree is located in the center of the plaza, at 50th Street and 5th Avenue. The official tree lighting is on December 2.