79-foot-tall Rockefeller Christmas tree lights up in New York City

Tourists packed Rockefeller Center for the annual lighting of the Christmas tree.

The crowd sang Christmas carols and screamed in excitement at the shimmering 12-ton Christmas tree with their cellphones on Wednesday night with many of them wearing masks in the crowded space.

Alessia Cara and Pentatonix were among the performers ahead of the lighting of the 79-foot-tall, 46-foot-wide Norway spruce from Elkton, Maryland, which was strung with 50,000 multi-colored LED lights and topped with a Swarovski star.

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