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The Rockefeller Christmas tree will be repurposed after the holidays. Here’s how

Posted on by Taylor Reeves
The Rockefeller Christmas tree will be repurposed after the holidays. Here’s how

Every December, a giant spruce tree draws crowds to Rockefeller Center in Manhattan to celebrate the holidays. And as soon as the season is over, the famous tree comes back to life.

Once the tree falls in January, it will be converted into lumber for Habitat for Humanity, a nonprofit that helps build affordable housing.

The tree typically stands about 70 to 100 feet tall and is carefully selected each year (for three decades) by Erik Pauze, Rockefeller Center’s chief gardener.

After the holiday season, the wood from the tree is chopped into large pieces. It is then sawn down at a mill in New Jersey and processed at a landscaping company, where it is dried, milled and planed into smooth two-by-four and two-by-six boards that are eventually used to make floors, porches, cabinets, furniture, etc become. frame reinforcement and more.

The first Rockefeller Christmas tree, erected by Rockefeller workers during the Great Depression in 1931. (Image via Rockefeller Center.)

“The Rockefeller Center Christmas tree is a reminder to reflect, be grateful and give back to others in the hustle and bustle of the holidays,” Jonathan Reckford, CEO of Habitat for Humanity International, said in an article the organization published about the tree being repurposed . “This symbol will live on as part of the lives of Habitat homeowners in their new homes.”

In 2011, a children’s book called “The Carpenter’s Gift” was published, celebrating the tradition of turning the Rockefeller Christmas tree into a home.

According to an article published in USA Today, recipients of homes built from Rockefeller Christmas tree lumber are selected at random, even though the wood typically returns to the same state from which it was donated. However, once recipients are selected for a Habitat home, they are made aware of the forest’s unique history. Some of the exposed wood areas are typically stamped with the year the tree served as a Rockefeller Christmas decoration.

Rockefeller Christmas tree lumber can be found in homes in Mississippi, New York, Connecticut, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Maryland and beyond.

(Image via Habitat for Humanity website.)

Sources

Amazon.Com. https://www.amazon.com/The-Carpenters-Gift-Christmas-Rockefeller/dp/0375869220/ref=tmm_hrd_title_0?ie=UTF8&qid=1344018717&sr=1-1-fkmr0. Accessed December 20, 2023.

From Rockefeller Center in New York to the Window Boxes in Southern California. www.youtube.comhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x7V5Ry_xx6A. Accessed December 20, 2023.

“Iconic Christmas tree lit at Rockefeller Center amid pro-Palestinian protests”. AP NewsNovember 29, 2023, https://apnews.com/article/christmas-tree-lighting-new-york-rockefeller-center-745947a9f2d39c7d3649c35d539d95ba.

Meet the man who picks the Christmas tree at Rockefeller Center. https://www.rockefellercenter.com/magazine/arts-culture/who-picks-the-rockefeller-center-christmas-tree-every-year/. Accessed December 20, 2023.

The Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree’s Journey to a Habitat Home | Habitat for humanity. https://www.habitat.org/stories/rockefeller-center-christmas-trees-journey-habitat-home. Accessed December 20, 2023.

Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree Part of Habitat for Humanity Home | Habitat for humanity. https://www.habitat.org/stories/rockefeller-center-christmas-tree-part-habitat-humanity-home. Accessed December 20, 2023.

The Rockefeller Center Christmas tree finds a new life and helps more plants grow | Habitat for humanity. https://www.habitat.org/stories/rockefeller-center-christmas-tree-finds-new-life-helping-more-plants-grow. Accessed December 20, 2023.

“The Rockefeller Center Christmas tree tradition began in 1931. Take a look back in time.” TODAY.ComNovember 17, 2023, https://www.today.com/popculture/news/rockefeller-center-christmas-tree-history-rcna125664.

TikTok – Make your day. https://www.tiktok.com/@mickmicknyc/video/7297266998285716779. Accessed December 20, 2023.

“What happens to the Rockefeller Christmas trees after they fall down? It’s a worthy new goal.” USA TODAYhttps://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2023/11/30/rockefeller-christmas-trees-come-down-habitat-for-humanity-homes/71755875007/. Accessed December 20, 2023.

Where the Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree Goes Next | Habitat for Humanity interview. https://www.rockefellercenter.com/magazine/arts-culture/rock-center-christmas-tree-donation-habitat-for-humanity-interview/. Accessed December 20, 2023.

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