A Wonderful Time of the Year

National Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony will take place at 5:00 pm on Thursday, December 1. Lucky winners of the online lottery can experience the whole affair, spectacular performances included, up close and personal.

So what do the rest of us do? This year, beginning December 2, you can watch the entire service on demand at www.thenationaltree.org. In addition, public television stations nationwide will begin airing the ceremony on the same date, and continue through the New Year. Click here for broadcast schedules.

The National Park Service (NPS) and the National Park Foundation distributed 17,000 tickets to the public, up from 10,000 last year. As usual, a star-studded evening is planned and thousands will gather on the Ellipse of the White House to usher in the holiday season and hear a presidential message of peace to the nation.

More information about the tree lighting and performances are available at www.thenationaltree.org.