The Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree is typically put up in mid-November. For 2025, the tree is expected to arrive and be hoisted into place in New York on either November 8 or November 15. The hoisting ceremony often starts early in the morning around 7 a.m. and can take three to four hours to fully position the tree. After the tree is secured, it is covered with scaffolding and decorated over about two weeks before the lighting ceremony. The tree is illuminated for the first time at the official lighting ceremony, which in 2025 will be held on December 3, the first Wednesday after Thanksgiving. After this, the tree remains lit daily from 5 a.m. to midnight until mid-January. In summary, the Rockefeller Center tree goes up generally in mid-November, with the 2025 tree expected on November 8 or 15, and the official lighting on December 3, 2025.