by Chuck Brady

’m a native New Yorker, although firmly transplanted to California. But each year at Christmas time I think of that wonderful, marvelous, stupendous tree in Rockefeller Plaza.

The first tree was put up by construction workers in 1931 while Rockefeller Center was being built. The first tree lighting (700 lights) was in 1933, at the newly completed RCA Building. In 1942 there were three trees, unlit; one decorated red, one white, and one blue; to honor our World War II soldiers, sailors and airmen. (The 1943 and 1944 trees were also unlit, due to blackout rules.)

The 1945 tree featured 700 fluorescent globes lit by “black light.” This was so popular that it was repeated in 1946.

This year the huge tree (an 84-foot Norway spruce) will go “high tech” with over 30,000 multicolored LEDs, which will reduce the electric consumption, from about 3,500 kilowatt-hours per day to just under 1,300 kilowatt-hours per day. This reduction is enough to power a 2,000 square-foot house for a month.

The only ornament on it is the star at the top. It is quite a star — it has 25,000 crystals with over one-million facets!

So, if you are in the New York City area between November twenty-eighth and January sixth, be sure to see it, with Jack Frost nipping at your nose! Then, catch the Christmas show at Radio City Music Hall. (When I was a teen-ager, I could take my date to see a movie, the Rockettes, and the Christmas show, all for $1.50 each! Isn’t progress wonderful?)

But, while you’re enjoying the tree, have a cup of java and a real New York bagel for me.

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