Theofficial websiteof the Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree describes the holiday tree as a“world-wide symbol of Christmas,” a statement we really can’t argue with, especially since 125 million people visit the attraction each year. And as you’ve probably heard, Wednesday, November 30th is the 84th Rockefeller Center Tree Lighting, an annual celebration that attracts tens of thousands in person, and hundreds of millions more on television. In anticipation of the big event, we decided to take a look back at how this tradition got started and how ithasevolved over the years.