The lighting of this famous giant Christmas tree will be televised from coast-to-coast, kicking off the holiday season at Rockefeller Center. The ceremony takes place at the end of November/ beginning of December each year and is aired live on the NBC television network. The lighting occurs at approximately 8:50p. The entire area gets extremely crowded, so come early if you want to see anything. If you miss it, the tree is lit every night through December.