One of the most famous Christmas trees in the world is the one at Rockefeller Center in New York. The tradition of lighting and decorating it has lasted for almost a century, and the beginnings were quite humble.
The first Christmas tree was decorated only with tinsel, paper garlands, and cranberries, and the tree was first ceremonially lit in 1933. In 1936, there were two Christmas trees to celebrate the opening of the downtown ice rink.
Over the years, the Christmas tree became larger and richer in decorations, and 1986 set a record at the time - the most lights on a Christmas tree, as many as 20,000.
The tragic 2001 Christmas tree was decorated in red, white, and blue in honor of the lives lost at the World Trade Center.
And here's what it all looked like over the years.
2024