The Rockefeller Center Christmas tree for 2024 has a heartwarming backstory, rooted in family memories and a touching tribute.
Planted in 1967 by Earl and Leslie Albert, newlyweds at the time, this towering Norway spruce has grown from waist-high to an impressive 74ft in West Stockbridge, Massachusetts, over the last 57 years.
‘We first used to decorate it when it was small, and then it got so big that I couldn’t decorate it,’ Earl Albert told NBC.
That towering beauty eventually caught the eye of Rockefeller Center’s head gardener, Erik Pauze, in 2020.
Planted in 1967 by newlyweds Earl and Leslie Albert in West Stockbridge, Massachusetts, the Norway spruce has grown from waist-high to a towering 74 feet over the years.
Pauze was so taken with the spruce that he visited the Albert home, sparking a moment the family believes may have been fate.
Just days before Pauze’s arrival, Leslie Albert had passed away, leading Earl and Leslie’s son, Michael, to wonder if Pauze was ‘an angel or something.’
Michael’s wife, Shawn, remarked that Leslie’s influence was clear in the moment. ‘This is definitely her handiwork,’ she said.
Earl expressed that donating the tree to Rockefeller Center is ‘probably one of the greatest honors’ of his life, adding that his late wife would have been ‘thrilled.’
In 2020, Rockefeller Center’s head gardener, Erik Pauze, was so taken by the tree that he visited the Alberts, just days after Leslie’s passing
‘Honestly, it’s a tribute to my mom. It’s a new beginning for the tree and for our family,’ said Michael.
After it was cut down, the tree embarked on its journey to New York City, where it will soon be adorned with over 50,000 multi-colored LED lights and crowned with a Swarovski star.
The tree is scheduled to arrive on Saturday, Nov. 9, with the lighting ceremony set for Wednesday, Dec. 4.
The Albert family received encouragement from last year’s tree donors, the McGinleys, who shared in a note the joy they felt during the 2023 tree lighting.
The tree is scheduled to arrive on Saturday, Nov. 9, with the lighting ceremony set for Wednesday, Dec. 4
‘You’ll never forget the sound, the flip of the switch, and the roar of the crowd. You’ll get chills, and just the emotion, it’s overwhelming emotion,’ Shawn Albert recalled the note saying.
The Albert family will get get the chance to see the tree lighting in person this year, during which Earl Albert said his late wife will be on his mind.
To honor Leslie, the family plans to create a memorial in the spot where the tree once stood, marking a new beginning not only for the tree but for the Albert family.
