On Friday, December 4th, the National Christmas Tree Lighting ceremony will be televised on public broadcast channels across the nation for the first time since the inception of the annual tradition eighty-six years ago.

The annual lighting began on Christmas Eve in December 1923, when then President Calvin Coolidge walked from the White House to the Ellipse to light a 48-foot balsam fir that had been decorated with 2,500 electric bulbs colored white, red and green that had been donated by the Electric League of Washington.

Since then, the tree and ceremony have changed names and places a few times. The ceremony, which is now known as the Christmas Pageant of Peace and boosts a 46 year old, 42-foot tall Colorado blue-spruce,is once again located on the Ellipse, having been celebrated for 20 years in various parks around the White House. And unlike trees of old, this years tree is set to be the brightest and greenest yet due to the work of General Electric, who revamped the lighting to be more energy efficient. This years tree will be trimmed with 750 strings of white LED lights and more recent ornaments that have also been retrofitted with LED bulbs.

Television coverage of the 60-minute lighting ceremony will begin on Friday, December 4th and continue throughout the holiday season. Check local PBS stations for coverage details and times.

For those desiring to watch the live lighting ceremony, including performances, presenters, and holiday festivities, log on to www.thenationaltree.org , on Thursday, December 3rd at 5pm EST, 1pm AST.