Podcast Summary: “The Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree: A History in Lights”
Podcast: HISTORY This Week | The Bowery Boys
Host: Greg Young
Original Air Date: December 24, 2025

Episode Overview

This episode, hosted by Greg Young (of The Bowery Boys), explores the origins, evolution, and enduring cultural significance of the Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree—America’s most iconic holiday decoration. Through historical anecdotes, memorable moments, and insightful commentary, the episode traces how this annual spectacle transformed from a modest worker celebration during the Great Depression into a national event broadcast to millions, symbolizing both New York’s resilience and the changing face of American holiday traditions.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Origins & Early Influences

• The First "Community Christmas Tree" in NYC (1912) [04:02]:

  • Madison Square Park hosted NYC’s first community Christmas tree, covered in Edison electric lights, as a gift for all New Yorkers, especially those unable to afford their own tree.
  • Quote: “‘Little old New York, which likes to pose as just about as blase as they make them, is going to have a brand new sensation today.’” – New York Sun (04:40)

• The Commercialization of Christmas (1920s) [05:40]:

  • Department stores (Macy’s, Wanamaker’s, Lord & Taylor) popularized the public, commercial side of Christmas with elaborate displays and parades.
  • The Macy’s Thanksgiving Parade debuted in 1924; Christmas became an American spectacle.

2. Rockefeller Center: Depression-Era Hope

• Development of Rockefeller Center (1930s) [07:40]:

  • The Great Depression left many out of work. Rockefeller Jr. initiated the building of Rockefeller Center on Columbia University land, aiming for a new “city within a city.”
  • Original plans for a new Metropolitan Opera House shifted toward a business/art-deco skyscraper cluster, with RCA (Radio Corporation of America) at its heart.
  • Quote: “They are saying that the only depression Rockefeller has ever had is that big hole he dug to put Radio City in.” – NY Newspaper, Dec 16, 1931 [13:30]

• The First Rockefeller Center Tree (1931) [14:21]:

  • Workers decorated a 20-ft tree with cranberries, garlands, and tin cans at the muddy construction site—a “symbol of hope during troubled times.”
  • The only photograph shows workers collecting their pay by the tree.

3. Tradition Begins: The Official Tree & Lighting

• Birth of the Lighting Ceremony (1933-1934) [18:54]:

  • The first “official” Rockefeller Center tree was 50 feet, lighting ceremony broadcast on NBC radio.
  • By 1934, the lighting became a well-publicized musical event, featuring the tree and the newly installed Prometheus statue.
  • Quote: “Nobody could see the lights over the radio, of course, but a magical tradition was born.” (19:50)

• Adding Tradition & Flair (1935-40s) [20:50]:

  • Trees grew larger—up to 80 feet.
  • The skating rink below the tree debuted in 1936.
  • Even live reindeer were included in 1941; the spectacle grew with each passing year.

4. War, Innovation, & National Spotlight

• WWII Adjustments [22:55]:

  • During WWII, the tree went unlit or adorned with plastic globes, complying with blackout regulations.
  • Three living trees, colored red, white, and blue, symbolized unity and restraint.

• Post-War Pomp & Television Era (Late 1940s–1950s) [26:36]:

  • Extravagance returned: in 1949, a 75-ft tree was spray-painted in pastel, drenched in 7,500 lights, spawning massive traffic jams.
  • The Kate Smith Hour (NBC) aired the first televised lighting in 1951; Howdy Doody brought it to children nationwide in 1952.
  • Quote: “The Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree was at its front door.” (28:50)

5. The Tree as National Icon

• Selecting the Perfect Tree [31:30]:

  • Head gardener David P. Murbach (for 26 years) scouted (even by helicopter) for a tree with “character.”
  • Many stories: Trees vital to families and communities, sometimes their removal was emotional.
  • Quote: “‘You want personality, there’s density, a height and a width we need, but some trees have a way of holding their branches... I don’t know what else to call it but character.’” – David P. Murbach (32:54)

• Transporting the Tree [34:53]:

  • Trees have been floated by barge, flown by plane, or trucked overnight into Manhattan.
  • Once arrived, days are spent assembling and decorating.

• Notable Decorations & Adjustments [36:27]:

  • 12 wire angels by Valerie Clarabout debuted in 1969.
  • Energy shortages (1973) led to 25% fewer lights.
  • Daredevils attempted to climb the tree in the 1970s (all arrested).

6. Modern Era: Media, Diversity, and Legacy

• The Ceremony Goes Primetime [40:45]:

  • NBC moved the lighting to prime time in 1997, making it a glitzy, star-studded national event.
  • Memorable Moment: Al Roker and Matt Lauer hosted, with performances by Harry Connick Jr., Kenny G, and the cast of Rent.
  • Most musical acts are pre-recorded, making November a fun month to visit and catch rehearsals.

• Moments of Reflection & Social Meaning [43:10]:

  • In 1999, lights were dimmed for a World AIDS Day moment of silence.
  • Post-9/11 (2001), the tree was lit with 80,000 red, white, and blue lights by First Lady Laura Bush and Mayor Giuliani.

• Holiday Diversity & Environmental Consciousness [46:55]:

  • NY now also features giant menorahs and light displays celebrating various traditions across the city.
  • Since 2007, wood from the tree goes to Habitat for Humanity homes.
  • Quote: “This means, theoretically, right now there is a home out there built from old Rockefeller Center Christmas tree lumber with a lawn or a backyard of young trees that may one day make that epic journey to Midtown Manhattan.” (48:35)

• The Story of Rocky the Owl (2020) [49:56]:

  • A small owl was discovered in the branches of the tree and became a citywide sensation during the pandemic. Rocky was rehabilitated and released—commemorated in ornament form for wildlife charity.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “You do not experience the magic of Christmas in New York without [the Rockefeller Center tree].” (03:18)
• “The tree is a celebrity of sorts, played by a different massive tree each year.” (02:32)
• “On December 24, 1931, employees at the Radio City excavation managed to haul a 20 foot Christmas tree down into the pit, erecting it in the mud and adorning its branches with strings of cranberries, paper garlands and tin cans.” (14:21)
• “[The expanded lighting] was described as plucked from a sky in fairyland, this Easter-like hue bouncing off the silver painted branches...” (27:46)
• “You want personality, there’s density, a height and a width we need, but some trees have a way of holding their branches. I don’t know what else to call it but character.” – David P. Murbach (32:54)
• “If nothing ever changed around the Christmas tree, you could not say the same thing about Rockefeller center...” (39:24)

Important Timestamps

• 04:02 — NYC’s first community tree (Madison Square)
• 07:40 — Rockefeller Center’s beginnings, Depression context
• 14:21 — The first Rock Center Tree (as a worker's symbol)
• 19:50 — Birth of the radio-broadcast lighting ceremony
• 20:50 — Early traditions: skating rink, double trees, live animals
• 22:55 — WWII: blackout years
• 26:36 — Postwar opulence, the TV era begins
• 32:54 — Tree selection stories and "character"
• 40:45 — NBC primetime spectacle, televised national tradition
• 43:10 — World AIDS Day moment, post-9/11 commemoration
• 46:55 — Modern diversity, tree gets repurposed for Habitat for Humanity
• 49:56 — Rocky the owl steals the show in 2020

Podcast Tone & Style

Greg Young’s narration is vivid, playful, and wry—conveying both affection for New York’s holiday spirit and a clear-eyed sense of history’s ironies, oddities, and ongoing transformations. Listeners are treated to a blend of well-researched storytelling, humor, and personal asides that make the city’s past lively and immediate.

For Images and More:
Visit The Bowery Boys’ website for historic photographs and further reading: boweryboyshistory.com