The Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree- The History and Lore of the World's Most Famous Evergreen by Nancy Armstrong

Christmas at Rockefeller Center is the standard by which all other Christmas Celebrations, and tree lightings, are judged. Every year, Rockefeller Center has a magnificent, stately evergreen standing front and center, lit with lights and decorated, and now with a magnificent Swarovski Crystal star atop the tree.

But where do those trees come from, and how are they selected? Are they bought, donated, grown or some combination of all three? How do they get from where they are grown to Rockefeller Center in New York? And how do they put all those lights and ornaments on the tree when the top of it is so high up? And what happens to all those trees when the holiday is over and it must come down? How do you dispose of a tree that big?

This small book answers all that and more, such as how the tradition started in Rockefeller Center, and the names of the men who decide which tree should grace the center, along with tales of the trees they have chosen. Suprisingly, perhaps, the tree is often donated to the Center, although a group of gardeners move in to make the removal site pretty- or to at least reduce the scars left by the removal of such a large tree. Sometimes, they plant another tree it its place. At least once, they have planted a number of trees, all gratis.

But the tree can't just be big, it must be stately and beautiful. It also must have that special "something" that sets it apart from other trees, even if that "something" can't be verbalized into exact words. Perhaps, the tree must have Character.

This small book is packed with the most fascinating facts about Christmas at Rockefeller Center. How the tradition started, and what decorations were added when (the angels date from 1952, The Swarovski Crystal star from 2004), and the locations the trees came from and the families or organizations that donated the tree(s) of that year, along with the size and variety of evergreen. (Most of the trees are Norway Spruces).

I was pleasantly surprised to see that some of the trees came from the county where I grew up (Rockland County, NY), and at least one from my old home town, Nanuet. You will slso learn a lot, like that the trees are recycled after being used (one was made into Lumber for houses constructed by Habitat for Humanity, but generally, they are wood-chipped and used as ground cover).

This is a great book, one that shouldn't be missed, filled with fascinating facts and plenty of pictures. You owe it to yourself to pick it up and read it, because once you start, you'll find it very hard to put down. Highly recommended.