Macy's Great Tree
Macy's Great Tree | |
---|---|
Atlanta, Georgia | |
Coordinates | 33°50′45″N 84°21′43″W / 33.84591°N 84.36187°W |
Country | USA |
Inaugurated | 1948 |
Founder | Rich's Department Store |
Most recent | 2022 |
The Rich's Great Tree, now the Macy's Great Tree (and briefly the Great Tree at Macy's), was a large 70–90-foot (21–27 m) tall cut pine Christmas tree that had been an Atlanta tradition since 1948.[1] As of 2013, the tree has been replaced by a much smaller artificial one in the parking lot, which was then moved back to the roof for 2014.[2][3][4][5] Before ending the tradition in December 2023.
History
Beginning in 1948, the
As the tree became an Atlanta tradition, more was added to the display to create an attraction in its own right. This included
The Rich's department store chain was sold to
After two years of incidents involving the tree (the 2011 tree snapped upon installation, and the crane removing the 2012 tree collapsed, causing damage to the store), Macy's announced in November 2013 that the Great Tree would be replaced with a smaller artificial tree and placed in the corner of the mall parking lot, officially ending 65 years of Atlanta tradition.
2020 brought changes caused by the COVID-19 pandemic: officials had set up the tree behind closed doors.
In December 2023 Macy's announced they ended the yearly tradition of the tree lighting.[9]
The original tree
Each year through 2012, the tree itself was an
The tree was selected over a year before it was actually intended to be cut and used, so that it could be used as the backup should something happen to the tree that was previously selected. It was generally picked from somewhere in north Georgia. The 2009 tree was planted in late 1983 after being used indoors as a family's first Christmas tree.
The Pink Pig
The Pink Pig was an
The ride moved to the
The ride went on hiatus in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and in 2021 Macy's announced the ride was being retired.
Fame of the Great Tree
The tree and the bridge were featured on the cover of Time magazine in 1961.[10]
During the time the Great Tree was at the downtown Rich's store, it was undeniably the biggest Christmas-time attraction in the
The Lighting of the Great Tree
Through 2014, the
For years the ceremony had been held from 7:00 to 8:00 PM, but for 2013 it was moved an hour earlier due to the store opening. For 2014, it was moved another hour earlier, so that it was not yet even completely dark during the lighting, with local sunset occurring at 5:30pm. For 2015, the store will open even earlier, which would force the lighting into the afternoon. For this reason, the 67-year Thanksgiving tradition was abandoned, pushing the lighting to the Sunday before.
Originally, four choirs sang from the north face of the Crystal Bridge, which connected all but the lower two levels of the downtown Rich's over Forsyth Street. Each of the four floors of choirs, ordered from bottom to top, sang during the program. Faux stained glass panels (still used by Macy's) were put in the bridge's windows on either side (left and right) of each choir, giving the ceremony an almost church-like effect. Street lights were turned off in the area below so there was no glare for the thousands of spectators that gathered every year regardless of the weather. The host/storyteller of those earlier days was Bob van Camp of WSB Atlanta radio and television, and once the organist at the Fox Theatre.
The ceremony, in those days, was based on the reading of the traditional
Over the years the crowds grew. The venue expanded to include the south side of the bridge. Thus, four more choirs were added. Although heard by everyone, the ceremony of choirs alternated between the bridge facings. For the conclusion of the ceremony, all of the bridge choirs (of both musical eras) were lighted on every floor, and leading towards the soloist's highest note in "O Holy Night", at which point the lights on the great tree burst alive to shine on downtown Atlanta.
Before rock and roll became the predominant form of popular music in the 1970s, the
Beginning in 2015 the lighting of Macy's Great Tree, that year the "68th edition of the Great Tree", was changed from Thanksgiving night to the Sunday before Thanksgiving, at 7:00PM
Other history
Transition from Rich's to Macy's
After an announcement was made in 2004, Rich's stores became Rich's-Macy's in early 2005, and for Christmas that year and the next, the Rich's Great Tree became the "Great Tree at Macy's". In 2007, the still-new name was dropped in favor of "Macy's Great Tree", after all Rich's stores became Macy's, eliminating the retailer after 140 years. The only visible reminders of Rich's are the Great Tree, and the façade of the original (1924) part of the Rich's building, now attached to the Sam Nunn Atlanta Federal Building via another four-story bridge where the Crystal Bridge was. (33°45′11″N 84°23′36″W / 33.75309°N 84.39322°W)
Trees that snapped
In 2004, the tree from
Crane collapse
The day after New Year's Day 2013, the arm of the crane removing the tree buckled and collapsed, sending the trunk of the tree crashing partially through the roof and into the third-floor men's department. That portion of the store sustained extensive water damage due to broken fire sprinkler pipes. Nobody was injured, as it was being removed early in the morning, before the store opened. Workers had to cut the tree apart after removing lights and giant ornaments, which were still on the tree as it was being removed.[1]
See also
- General Grant tree
- National Christmas Tree
- New Georgia Encyclopedia
- Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree
References
- ^ "Rich's Department Store | New Georgia Encyclopedia". Georgiaencyclopedia.org. 2005-11-17. Retrieved 2019-07-08.
- ^ "Macy's at Lenox Square to use fake Christmas tree | 11alive.com". Archived from the original on 2013-11-29. Retrieved 2013-11-29.
- ^ "Macy's 'Great Tree' goes fake in Atlanta". Usatoday.com. 2013-11-07. Retrieved 2019-07-08.
- ^ "Macy's Great Tree at Lenox Square" (PDF). www.bizjournals.com. 2013. Retrieved 2019-07-08.
- ^ Alexis Stevens, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. "Macy's Great Tree to be artificial this year". ajc.
- ^ "Macy's Great Tree | ajc.com". Archived from the original on 2005-11-26. Retrieved 2005-11-19.
- ^ a b Alexis Stevens, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. "Macy's goes for artificial Great Tree". ajc.
- ^ "Macy's To Use Artificial Christmas Tree This Year". November 6, 2013.
- ^ "What happened to the Macy's Great Tree? This is what we've learned". December 12, 2023.
- ^ "TIME Magazine Cover: Christmas Shopping - Dec. 15, 1961". TIME.com.
- ^ The Great Tree: 1949/http://www.atlantatimemachine.com/downtown/richs6.htm
- ^ "Macy's at Lenox Square Celebrates Magical 68th Annual Great..." WSBTV. November 10, 2015.
- ^ ""Tree breaks before topping Lenox Macy's", Access Atlanta, November 13, 2011, accessed January 6, 2012". Archived from the original on January 2, 2012. Retrieved January 7, 2012.
External links
- Macy's Great Tree leaves a great mess Retrieved 12 April 2013
- Crane snaps removing Macy's Great Tree Retrieved 12 April 2013
- 2nd Great Tree to be cut Tuesday morning Retrieved 12 April 2013