BY SAMANTHA NEGRAVAL

NEWJERSEYNEWSROOM.COM

‘Tis the season to take a giant Norway spruce from New Jersey, put it in Rockefeller Center, and strap more than 30,000 lights to it. Wednesday night marks the 80th annual Rockefeller Christmas tree lighting event.

According to an Associated Press report, this year’s tree hails from Mount Olive, N.J. from the property of Joe Balku. The tree is 80 feet tall, 50 feet in diameter and weighs 10 tons. It survived the fierce winds of Hurricane Sandy and will be topped with a giant Swarokvski crystal star.

The ceremony will air on NBC starting at 7 p.m. with taped and live performances from Mariah Carey, Scotty McCreery, Cee Lo Green, Tony Bennett, Trace Adkins and more. The lighting will occur shortly before 9 p.m.

The ceremony dates back to 1931 when workers building Rockefeller Center put up a Christmas tree. The tradition returned in 1933 with the first lighting ceremony.

The public will be able to view this year's Christmas tree until Jan. 7. According to Examiner.com, the tree will remain lit from 5:30 a.m. to 11:30 p.m. daily. It will then be used as lumber for Habitat for Humanity, the AP reports.