L’Albero di Natale-Rockefeller Center

08 Friday Dec 2023

Posted by Un po' di pepe in Feste, Italocanadesi

Tags

Albero di Natale, Christmas in New York, Italians in America, Natale, Rockefeller Center

December 8^th is a national holiday in Italia and the official start of le feste Natalizie-the Christmas season. It is also the day most Italiani put up and decorate their Christmas tree, l’ albero di Natale.

The most well-known albero di Natale is probably the one in Rockefeller Plaza in New York. It is known around the world and visited by 125 million people each year. Usually, the tree is a giant Norway Spruce from upstate NY, sometimes it is even from Canada. The tree goes up on the Wednesday evening after American Thanksgiving* and is lit from 5 am to midnight until after the epiphany.

The tree may not go up on December 8^th, but I recently found out that this famous tree tradition was started by Italian immigrant excavation workers. On December 24^th 1931 work had just begun on the future site of Rockefeller Center. The first tree, a ‘small’ 6.1 m (20 ft) Balsam fir was brought to the site by Cesidio Perruzza. Originally from Frosinone, he was one of a group of Italian excavation workers who built a lot of Manhattan. They pooled their money to buy the tree, wanting to bring Christmas cheer and to be thankful for being employed during economic depression. The tree was decorated with paper garlands made by their families, gum wrappers, and the foil wrappers from blasting caps-since their job was blowing things up!

The photo from the Rockefeller Centre’s website shows workers lining up to collect their wages on Christmas Eve 1931 beside the tree.

By Christmas 1933, the job was completed and 30 Rockefeller Plaza opened. The first ‘official’ tree was lit in the plaza and it was made an annual tradition. It was a 15 m (50 ft) tree and according the Rockefeller Centre’s website, was intended as ‘a holiday beacon for New Yorkers and visitors alike’. The skating rink was added below the tree in 1936. This is how a group of Italian excavation workers with hope and Christmas spirit started a beloved tradition.

Perhaps this is common knowledge for Italian Americans? Did any of you know about this? Let me know in the comments.

*I specify American Thanksgiving because in Canada Thanksgiving is in October, the same time as American Columbus Day

Photos of 2023 Rockefeller Center Christmas tree taken last week by my cuginetto, paparazzo Luciano Pepe

Photos of Dec 24, 1931 from Rockefeller Center website

Buon Natale, Cristina

L’Albero di Natale

09 Sunday Dec 2018

Posted by Un po' di pepe in Feste, Italian life

≈ 17 Comments

Tags

Albero di Natale, Christmas in Italia, Natale, Presepio

L’albero di Natale, my Christmas tree is now up and decorated. I usually have it all done by now, but I am behind this year. It was not planned, but I did the Italian thing this year! December 8th is l’Immacolata Concezione, the festa celebrating the conception of the Vergine Maria. It is a national holiday in Italia and the official start of le feste Natalizie-the Christmas season. It is also the day most Italiani put up and decorate their albero di Natale and presepio. The Christmas decorations-addobbi Natalizie stay up until January 6th, la festa del Epifania-after a visit from La Befana. Earlybirds decorate on December 6th the festa di San Nicola.L’albero di Natale is long standing tradition in Northern European countries, but a much newer custom in Italia. Alberi sempervivi-evergreen trees, have symbolized life, regeneration and immortality. The Celts, Vikings and pre-Christian Germanic tribes decorated evergreens during Solstice celebrations. In the harsh northern winters evergreen trees, holly and mistletoe were the only things that stayed green, so they were thought to have magical powers. Wreaths and evergreen branches were hung over doors as a defense against evil spirits and a symbolic defense against the harsh winter. I can totally relate to this last one. My addobbi Natalizie help me get through the winter! ‘Modern’ use of l’albero di Natale started in the 13th Century and became a custom in Northern Europe. In Southern Europe, it was seen as more of a Protestant custom and did not catch on. In 1848, when Prince Albert of Germany married Queen Victoria, he brought the Christmas tree custom with him, which spread through the British Empire.

Vancouver Club tree 2018 Regina Margherita di Savoia-yes she of pizza fame-was the first to decorate un albero di Natale in Italia in the late 1800’s at the Palazzo Quirinale. The custom spread slowly, but grew in popularity after WWII. In 1982, Pope Giovanni Paolo II first introduced a tree in Piazza San Pietro. Now most families have un albero di Natale, and the presepio is often placed under the tree. Is your albero di Natale up yet? Buon Natale, Cristina