Spirits Glow as N.Y. Lights 60th Christmas Tree

The Christmas season opened in New York City on Wednesday as thousands who had huddled in cold, drizzly weather let out a whoop at the 60th annual lighting of the Rockefeller Center Christmas tree.

The 65-foot Norway spruce--strung with more than 25,000 bulbs--came to light at 5:50 p.m.

It drew a gasp from people packed elbow to elbow in the mid-Manhattan center and others watching from the windows of surrounding skyscrapers.

“I didn’t expect to but I felt a tingle,” said Carl Cruz, 44. “I guess there’s more of a child in me than I thought.”

Actress Glenn Close was the host for this year’s ceremony, which also featured performances by the Radio City Music Hall Rockettes and the New York Philharmonic’s brass section.

Figure skaters Richard Alexander and Tristen Vega glided across the Rockefeller Center ice rink, just below the tree, during the festivities.

The spruce came from the back yard of Andrew Kapusinski, 81, of Stony Point, N.Y. It weighs approximately 6 tons and is more than 50 years old.