Matt McGinley of Gym Class Heroes and the 2023 Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree.Photo:Ethan Miller/Getty; Angela Weiss/AFP via Getty
Ethan Miller/Getty; Angela Weiss/AFP via Getty
It’s the “most wonderful time of the year,” and New Yorkers have a member ofGym Class Heroesto thank for getting the city into the holiday spirit.
The 2023 Rockefeller Center Christmas tree.Angela Weiss/AFP via Getty
Angela Weiss/AFP via Getty
The musician’s wife, professor Jackie McGinley, opened up about how surprised she was that the tree off their lawn outside of Binghamton, New York ended up being part of the iconic annual tradition in Rockefeller Center Plaza.
“The whole process [of selection] is incredibly secretive,” she toldThe Finger Lake Times. “Because of that, we didn’t know our tree was selected. We thought maybe it was on a short list.”
He told the outlet, “I found the tree in Vestal, New York, when I was on my way to look at another tree, not too far away. I had driven to the other tree and took a slow road back, and saw this one.”
“I went back this spring and decided to knock,” he continued. “The McGinley family told me that not too long before I knocked on the door, someone told them, ‘That looks like a Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree.’”
The McGinley family tree before it relocated to Rockefeller Center.Rockefeller Center/ Twitter
Rockefeller Center/ Twitter
McGinley’s tree was donated after the “Stereo Hearts” band had a big year. Not only did the rap-rock group perform at the nostalgicWhen We Were Youngpop-punk music festival in Las Vegas in the fall, they set out on a massive reunion tour in support of All Time Low throughout spring and summer.
When Rockefeller Center shared a first-look at their pick for the 2023 holiday season onsocial mediain early November, they revealed the tree is a Norway Spruce, standing at 80-feet-tall and weighing in at about 12 tons. It arrived in the midtown Manhattan plaza on Nov. 11 and was officially lit up to usher in Christmastime in the city on Nov. 29.
According toRockefeller Center, the tree is decked out with 50,000 multicolored lights that are strung across nearly 5 miles of wire and it’s topped with a 900-pound star featuring 70 spikes covered in 3 million Swarovski crystals.
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A handful of stars rocked around the Christmas tree atNBC’s 91st annual lighting ceremony, which was held on Nov. 29 and is now streaming on Peacock after being broadcast on the network.
source: people.com
