How Rockefeller Center's Social Media Responded to Jokes about This Year's Christmas Tree
The arrival of the 75 foot Christmas tree at the Rockefeller Center this year was met with jokes and disappointment, but the center assured that the best is yet to come.
Annually, the Rockefeller Center unofficially starts the holiday season with the arrival of their Christmas Tree. As the tree rolled in on November 14, jokes about the tree's appearance started doing the rounds.
In response, the center issued a statement on social media, assuring the public that the Christmas tree's wonder will come to its full glory once it's properly lit next month.
The Rockefeller Center pictured during a previous Christmas with their tree lit. | Source: Unsplash.
HOW PEOPLE RESPONDED
It took two days for a truck to deliver the 75-foot-tall, 11-ton Norway spruce tree from Oneonta, New York, to its destination at the Rockefeller Plaza in Manhattan. Unimpressed, the pianist, Chris Ryan, posted a picture of the tree and wrote:
"In true 2020 form, the Rockefeller Center Christmas tree looks like it tried to cut its own hair."
THE TREE'S SCHEDULE
According to the center's schedule, the massive tree will be decorated by December 2, when it will be lit for the first time. On Christmas Day, they will keep the lights on for 24 hours, followed by visiting hours between 6 am and 9 pm on New Year's Eve.
Urging people to practice a little patience, the Rockefeller Center shared that the best is yet to come since the major transformation is yet to come, and wrote:
"Wow, you all must look great right after a two-day drive, huh? Just wait until I get my lights on! See you on December 2!"
THE TRANSFORMATION EXPLAINED
A spokesperson for the center explained that preparations on the tree begin even before making the long and slow journey on a massive flatbed truck to the Rockefeller Center.
With branches fully wrapped one by one weeks before the tree is cut down, the wrapping is only taken off after the arduous trip, and the tree arrives at its location in Manhattan.
Due to travel preparation, it takes the tree's branches a while to "snap back into place." When it reaches that stage, they begin with the decorations, including over 50,000 multicolored LED lights and the topping of a 900-pound three-dimensional star covered in 3 million Swarovski crystals.
Social distancing regulations due to the novel coronavirus pandemic will cause a markedly different way of celebrating Christmas this year, especially regarding one thing children worldwide look forward to every year.
A baby meets a friendly Santa Claus ahead of Christmas. | Source: Pexels.
Santa Claus's visits to various malls across the US will be amended to ensure everyone's safety, but some establishments did away with the tradition altogether, like Macy's.
Skipping a tradition Macy's began back in 1861, the department store announced that none of their venues would have a Santa this year. Instead, they embrace the new normal and opted for the offering of a virtual experience instead.