When you say Happy Holidays I automatically think of the Christmas Tree at Rockefeller Center.  It seems to get bigger and brighter each year.

If you live in New York City you can’t help but smile as you walk by.  Everyone is always rushing around the city but walking by the tree seems to slow time down.  You can’t help but stare up in awe and for a special moment feel like a tourist in your own city.  Forget the skyscrapers, we have a giant, amazing tree!

The original tree was put up on Christmas Eve 1931 during the great depression. Construction workers were building the soon- to be “Rockefeller Center.”  That afternoon to celebrate the season they put up a tree and decorated it with paper, cranberries and tin cans. I love the sentiment of these men putting up a tree at their work site. I can’t stop thinking about how fortunate they must have felt to have jobs at that time.

The men had no idea it would become a long-standing tradition starting in 1933 when a Rockefeller Center publicist decided to make the tree an annual tradition. The first official lighting ceremony was celebrated with a 50-foot tree. In 1936, they put up two trees and also held an ice skating competition  to mark the opening of the skating rink.

This past Saturday night I went to see the tree with my family.  We went on a last minute whim and boy was it a blast! We battled the large crowds, squeezed our way in front of the tree and took pictures and silly selfies together.  It is a night we will all remember forever.

The beautiful tree at Roc Center 2014

If you have never visited the Roc Center Tree in person, put a trip on your bucket list.  It’s larger than life! It magically turns you right back into a KID filled with all the wonders of the season. Although my family visits Roc Center yearly, the tree never loses it appeal. We always stand in awe at the base of the tree reveling in its grandeur and the wonder of the season.

Happy Holidays everyone!