Another holiday season has come and gone in NYC, and with that comes the removal of all the holiday lights, window displays, and Christmas trees.
This Saturday, January 14 the Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree will go dark at 10p.m., and alas, the removal process of the tree will begin.
But the absence of the tree’s 50,000 multi-colored LED lights doesn’t mark the end of the road for the iconic Norway spruce!
Since 2007, retired Rockefeller Center Christmas Trees have been milled into lumber and donated to Habitat for Humanity. And Rockefeller Center spoke with a spokesperson from Habitat for Humanity International to find out exactly what happens to the tree once it’s removed for the season.
What was discovered was that each year once the tree goes dark it gets cut into large pieces which are then transported to a mill in New Jersey. The pieces are dried, milled, and planed until they’re soft and smooth before being shipped to Habitat for Humanity–a global housing nonprofit that partners with individuals and families to build and improve affordable homes.
As for where the lumber actually goes, it gets sent to a Habitat affiliate in whichever state the tree was grown (in this year’s case, New York) who then determines how it will be used.
The wood from a Norway spruce is flexible and durable, and therefore makes it the perfect material for flooring, furniture, and cabinetry.
In the past, lumber from the 2011 and 2014 trees was used to frame out multiple Philadelphia homes, while wood from the 2007 tree was used to build a new home for a Mississippi family who was displaced by Hurricane Katrina.
So, as it turns out, our iconic Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree –a staple of the holiday season–is good for more than just dazzling us as we soak in the magic of the holidays in NYC.
The more you know!