This year the lighting ceremony may be different due to COVID. The tree itself looks like it’s gotten it’s dose of 2020 and isn’t the most festive or full, but people are really getting a kick out of it. They had to take care of some animals among them, an owl that was living in the tree. According to the Gothamist, it was “…nicknamed Rockefeller…”. Although Mayor DeBlasio didn’t want anyone going out to see the lighting it is clear that after millions of Americans traveled for Thanksgiving against warnings they would go to see the lighting as well. Therefore, instead of just being televised people bought tickets and stood six feet apart with masks on. According to Today, the lighting happened on Wednesday, December 2 and many artists including Kelly Clarkson, Jimmy Fallon, Tori Kelly, Dolly Parton, Dan and Shay, Pentanoix, Meghan Trainor, Gwen Stefani, and the Rockettes made an appearance. 

DeBlasio strongly urged people in an article from the New York Post, “I know some people are still going to want to go in person, and I’m going to tell you upfront, please, if you can make the decision to watch it on TV, that’s so much better.” He also said this year if people are going in person expect that, “There will be a reservation system, groups of no more than four at a time will be able to go up and view the tree. It’s a timed, socially distanced approach,” he said. According to CBS, The tree will be lit up with over “50,000 LED lights” and the “tree will stay lit every day from 6 a.m. to midnight”. If people were planning on going in person they would get a ticket and wait until they got a notification that it was their turn and look at the tree for a maximum of five minutes. There were pods limited to four people and handwashing stations so everyone was practicing social distancing.

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• rockefeller tree lighting