So as you probably heard up here at SUNY Oneonta, a local tree is about to be cut down and taken to Rockefeller Center to be the most famous tree in the US (or the world for that matter)! People around the world come travel annually to see the tree that comes from our backyard, so if the tree is from Oneonta, does that make us famous too? This is very exciting for locals and students here, but were sad to see the tree go.

As you are probably wondering, how to they even find the tree in the first place?

Well apparently the tree is submitted by the person whose tree it is. There is a website, https://www.rockefellercenter.com/contact/submit-y... where you fill out a form for people to come scout out the tree on your yard. If it fills the requirements, the workers come cut it down, transport it to NYC, then put the lights on it.

The requirements for the famous New York City Christmas tree are:

-Must be a Norway Spruce

-Over 70 feet

-Sturdy enough to hold the weight of the lights

-Nearly symmetrical branches and straight trunk

Fun Facts about the Rockefeller Christmas Tree:

-There are 45,000+ lights on it

-Length of the light's wire stretches out 5 miles

-The first tree was put up in 1931 and was decorated with tin cans instead of lights

-The tree is donated to Habitat for Humanity after the holidays

According to USA Today, "The tree will be cut down on Nov. 10 and arrive at the Rockefeller Center on Nov. 12, according to NBC 4. The massive tree will be on display until Jan. 7."

So as my friend at school recently said to me, "Let's just visit the tree now and save money on train tickets." So if you're interested in getting a peek of the tree before it's cut, you can find it at 72 Country Club Road.

1931 Rockefeller Christmas Tree

Oneonta's Norway Spruce 2016

Sources:

Writer, Jessica Reynolds Staff. "Oneonta Tree to Grace Rockefeller Center." The Daily Star. The Daily Star, 31 Oct. 2016. Web. 02 Nov. 2016.

Fontana, Rebecca. "11 Things You Should Know about the Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree." Time Out New York. Time Out New York, 2 Dec. 2015. Web. 02 Nov. 2016.