Take the Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree Quiz
It’s big, it’s fluffy, and it shows up in wintertime. No, it’s not the Abominable Snowman…it’s the majestic, much-loved Rockefeller Center Christmas tree, a long-held American tradition lit every year on — well, that’s for you to find out!
And hey, guess what. If you already knew the answer, you’re well on your way to acing the Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree Quiz.
Scroll down for each question. No peeking — Santa’s always watching!
Score yourself one point for every correct answer. Then check at the end of the quiz to see what Santa’s going to bring you this year. Good luck…and may your days be merry — and very, very bright!
1. The first Christmas tree was put up in Rockefeller Center in the:
a) 1930s
b) 1940s
c) 1950s
Answer: a
FUN FACT: Rockefeller Center was still in the process of being built when the first Christmas tree was brought by workers to the site in 1931. The tree was 20 feet tall – tiny by today’s standards – and was decorated by the workers with cranberries, paper garlands, and, because it was the Great Depression, even some tin cans.
2. How many lights are on the Rockefeller Center Christmas tree?
a) 35,000
b) 50,000
c) 100,000
Answer: b
FUN FACT: Americans spend in excess of $645 million each year on Christmas lights, including the tree, indoor and outdoor decorations, according to Forbes data.
3. What is the most common type of tree put up in Rockefeller Center?
a) Sugar Pine
b) White Spruce
c) Norway Spruce
Answer: c
FUN FACT: White Spruce and Balsam Fir have also been used, but the Norway Spruce has been chosen 77 out of 92 times (including this year’s tree) and has been used exclusively since 1978.
4. Have all of the Rockefeller Center trees come from the Northeastern US?
a) yes
b) no
Answer: b
FUN FACT: The 1966 tree came from Ontario, Canada.
5. How high was the tallest Christmas tree ever erected in Rockefeller Center?
a) 90 feet
b) 70 feet
c) 100 feet
Answer: c
FUN FACT: The gigantic 1966 Norway Spruce was brought in from Killingworth, Connecticut.
6. When is the Rockefeller Center Christmas tree lit each year?
a) Black Friday
b) the first Wednesday after Thanksgiving
c) December 1
Answer: b
FUN FACT: The traditional Christmas tree is brought in between mid- and late November, but the lights don’t turn on until the first Wednesday night after Thanksgiving. (This year, that’s Dec. 4.) A whopping 500,000 people will brave the cold and visit the Rockefeller Center tree every day this Christmas season.
7. What network will broadcast the tree lighting?
a) ABC
b) CBS
c) NBC
Answer: c
FUN FACT: Network station NBC has telecast Christmas in Rockefeller Center since 1997.
8. Why can’t the Christmas tree be taller than 100 feet?
a) insurance is too high
b) streets are too narrow for transportation
c) New York City laws prohibit natural structures taller than 100 feet
Answer: b
FUN FACT: As narrow as some Manhattan streets are, they were actually planned at a minimum width in order to minimize unsanitary conditions and potentially dangerous groupings of people, which commissioners believed could result in unsanitary air. A minimum length of streets was also established in the plan.
9. Has the Rockefeller Christmas Tree ever gone unlit during the Christmas season?
a) no
b) yes
Answer: b
FUN FACT: This one isn’t very “fun,” but it is a fact: between 1944 and the end of World War II in 1945, a tree was erected, but went unlit due to blackout regulations.
10. What year did the Rockefeller Center tree switch to LED lighting?
a) 2002
b) 2007
c) 2011
Answer: b
FUN FACT: The switch was made in order to make the tree more energy efficient. According to reports, LED lights on the Rockefeller Christmas tree save 1200 kilowatts of energy each day – enough to power a 2000-square-foot house for a full month.
Your Score – And Your Gift From Santa
0 points: Lump of Coal
Naughty, naughty. Santa doesn’t think you’re quite in the Christmas spirit this year. That’s okay: take the quiz again, and maybe cheat a little this time. Perhaps you’ll get something a bit more exciting in that stocking.
2-3 points: A Candy Cane
You gave it a shot. Santa says: eat this and get merry already.
4-6 points: Elves Will Come to Do Your Dishes
Don’t tell me this isn’t the gift you’ve been dreaming of every single year. (I know I have.)
7-9 points: Your Second-Wildest Dream Will Come True
Santa didn’t like your wildest one, so take this instead.
10 points: A Ride on Santa’s Sleigh
Amazing work – Santa could use a few more in-the-spirit souls like you! Merry Christmas!