Lighting the Tree

Each year, as a tradition a giant Christmas tree is elevated at Rockefeller Plaza, famous for its Rockefeller Centre called "the Rock".

And every year the unofficial start of the Christmas Holiday Season is the "Lighting of the Tree" event, marking the first time the lights are turned on in that giant Christmas tree. The event attracts thousands of people wanting to see the tree lit and is broadcasted live on NBC with an impressive line-up of celebrities. This year, for the 76th edition, Beyonce and the Jonas Brothers among others made the crowds go wild.

"THE TREE IS LIT!!"

As you can imagine, I was very honored to be invited for a Lighting of the Tree Party, hosted by a Dutch law firm, on the 15th Floor in Rockefeller Centre. Together with a couple of colleagues I went to the party (which was not an easy thing as all streets were blocked and thousands of people tried to come as close to the tree as they could...). After some convincing negotiations with a police officer we were in the Rockefeller building, ready to see the tree being lit.
We met a lot of other Dutchies, some American lawyers and enjoyed the great view at the tree and the icering, where New Yorkers and tourists normally skate and flirt. The crowds were standing in the cold, we were standing on the 15th Floor drinking a Heineken beer...what a life we have!

After warming up the crowd and the countdown, the climax of the tree lighting was there exactly at 9pm, the thousands of little coloured lights were glowing in the dark. I'm still wondering how they managed to put so many lights in that tree..