Monday, November 24, 2025

Fox News Presents The All-American Christmas Tree Lighting


On Friday, Fox News Media hosted its sixth annual "All-American Christmas Tree Lighting" ceremony at FOX Square in Midtown Manhattan, New York City. The event aired live at 5 p.m. ET as a special edition of the popular show The Five, sponsored by Reckitt and ACE Hardware. 

It marked an early kickoff to the holiday season, drawing crowds and viewers with a mix of festive performances, celebrity guests, and charitable tie-ins. 

The ceremony emphasized themes of faith, family, and American tradition, and it was widely shared on social media for its wholesome, uplifting vibe.


Key Details and Highlights
  • The Tree:   Standing 50 feet tall, the artificial tree (built on a steel frame by American Christmas, a Mt. Vernon, NY-based company) was adorned with 18,000 ornaments and over 340,000 lights in warm white, true white, and red hues. It featured a six-foot dove topper embedded with 4,800 additional lights, symbolizing peace and holiday spirit.
  • Hosts and Emcees: The Five co-hosts—Greg Gutfeld, Dana Perino, Jessica Tarlov, and Jesse Watters—were joined by guest co-host Lawrence Jones (from Fox & Friends). They led the countdown and lighting from the FOX Square stage, with appearances from other Fox personalities like Ainsley Earhardt, Steve Doocy, and Abby Hornacek.
  • Performances and Guests: Grammy Award-winning Christian singer Chris Tomlin delivered several live performances, including "Angels We Have Heard on High," "Holy Forever," "Silent Night," "Christmas Day," and closing with "Joy to the World." He was accompanied by the Christian Culture Center Choir.
A special blessing was given by Timothy Cardinal Dolan, Archbishop of New York, who called the event a "beautiful tradition." Rabbi Kalman Samuels shared a heartfelt message from Israel, adding an interfaith element.

Santa Claus made a surprise appearance, interacting with children and joining the lighting countdown—captured in viral clips showing kids sharing their Christmas wishes.

Evangelist Franklin Graham appeared to discuss the true meaning of Christmas and promote Samaritan's Purse's Operation Christmas Child, which encourages packing shoeboxes with toys and essentials for children worldwide.

Charity Partnerships: The event partnered with the Marine Toys for Tots Foundation to collect gifts for underprivileged kids in the U.S., and Samaritan's Purse for global outreach. On-site toy drives and donation spots were highlighted during the broadcast.
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