NEW YORK and WASHINGTON, DC — It’s been nearly a month since Donald Trump was elected president, and so far, at least, the Mexican government hasn’t financed a wall to keep a disgruntled majority of U.S. voters from entering their country. Instead, starting with Barack Obama’s immediate olive-branch invitation of Trump to the White House, and continuing with Christmas tree lighting ceremonies at the White House and New York’s Rockefeller Center, the news cycle in late November shifted from political rants and protests to families pledging to refrain from politics at holiday gatherings.
The Rockefeller Center tree lighting ceremony took place despite pouring rain on Nov. 30, with back-up energy sources supplementing the solar panels used to generate electricity for the 50,000 LED lights gracing the stately 94-foot tall Norway spruce.
New York mayor Bill de Blasio presided over the 84th Rockefeller tree-lighting ceremony, with the Radio City Rockettes performing along with Sarah McLachlan, Tony Bennett, Neil Diamond, Garth Brooks, Tricia Yearwood, Dolly Parton, Josh Groban, Tori Kelly and Pentatonix, among others. The event was broadcast live on NBC.
The Rockefeller Center tree (standing only a few blocks away from Trump Tower) will be lit every day from 5:30 a.m. to 11:30 p.m. until Jan. 7., except for Christmas Day, when it will be lit around the clock for 24 hours.
A day later, on Dec. 1, the Obamas gathered for their final White House tree lighting ceremony as the First Family. The 94th annual National Christmas Tree Lighting ceremony, overseen by the National Park Service in its 100th year, once again lit up a living tree planted on the White House lawn.
Garth Brooks and Tricia Yearwood performed here as well, joined by Kelly Clarkson, Chance the Rapper, James Taylor, Yolanda Adams, the Lumineers, Eva Longoria Bastón, Marc Anthony, Afro Blue, The Airmen of Note and Simone Manuel. The taped event was set to air on the Hallmark Channel Dec. 5.
