On December 4th, 2014, the lights of the Rockefeller Christmas tree, located in the heart of New York City, were lit for millions of spectators in person and on TV.
It was the perfect day–around 50 degrees, without a drop falling from the sky. Many claimed that it was the best weather for the lighting in several years. As soon as I arrived at Penn Station, the crowd was tremendous. After waiting and slowly advancing for a few minutes, I made my way to 7th Avenue.
No matter how many times I visit NYC, the Times Square area never disappoints. All the lights and the hustle and bustle are always such a thrill. The weather was beautiful and I was happy to be sharing this experience with my girlfriend and our four friends.
We made our way through the crowded streets, passing large Christmas ornaments perched on top of a fountain and oversized Christmas lights strung around several trees. Then we came upon the tree–standing tall on a stage, with lights elegantly wrapped around to the top. Police officers and workers surrounded the area to make sure that the show went smoothly and everyone was safe.
Despite the general expectation of a huge crowd, I was surprised to see fewer people than there usually are. I went up to a police officer to see what was going on, and he informed me that crowds were starting to gather on 49th and 50th street for the best view of the tree lighting.
That news was certainly a disappointment, as we thought we were going to get front row seats, but this wasn’t the biggest disappointment of our adventures. To be able to see the stars singing, you had to have a VIP pass, which we didn’t have.
We just figured that since we were there, we would make the best of it. We walked around the area to see what everything looked like, since we wouldn’t be able to see it once the show started. After doing so, we walked around for quite some time until returning back to the tree at around 4:30 pm.
After standing in the crowd for about two and a half hours, the show started around seven. Many popular stars performed all the classic Christmas songs while the audience danced and chimed in. The atmosphere began to lighten and you could feel the Christmas spirit.
Then it was time for the countdown. The tree was lit, glistening for millions to see. It was a sight and a experience to be there, with all the “oohs” and “ahhs” that could be heard in the audience. I would recommend this to anyone of any age to go and see. Just be prepared to stand for hours and do a lot of walking.
