The Christmas Tree is lit during 81st Annual Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony at Rockefeller Center in New York, Dec. 4, 2013
The world-famous Rockefeller Center Christmas tree was lit during a ceremony in New York City Wednesday night. This year’s tree, a 75-year-old Norway spruce, is illuminated by 45,000 rainbow LEDs and features a 550 lbs., 9.5-foot-wide Swarovski crystal star on top.
That’s just a bit more impressive than Rockefeller Center’s first Christmas tree, a 40-footer with a measly 700 lights.
The tree-lighting ceremony, which draws thousands of spectators to the Rockefeller Center each year, featured live performances from Mary J. Blige, Mariah Carey, Kelly Clarkson and other artists.
Here’s another view from social media manager and photographer Anthony Quintano:
Watch time-lapse photography of the 2012 Rockefeller Christmas tree here: