Mariah Carey, Cee Lo Green and Rod Stewart brought some Christmas cheer to New York city last night as the 45,000 LED lights of the Rockefeller Christmas tree were lit.

Tens of thousands of chilly spectators braved the near-freezing temperatures to watch the live performances of ‘Christmas in Rockefeller Center’ as the city celebrated the  beginning of Christmas.

Other celebs there included, American Idol winner Scotty McCreery, Il Volo, Victoria Justice, Brooke White, Trace Adkins and Tony Bennett, along with appearances by Billy Crystal, Bette Midler and Mayor Michael Bloomberg – who flipped the switch to light the tree.

Illuminated by more than 30,000 lights, the tree from the Mount Olive, N.J. – home of Joe Balku – was topped by a Swarovski star. The 10-ton tree had been at the homestead for years, measuring about 22-feet tall in 1973 when Balku bought the house.

The tradition of a Christmas tree at Rockefeller Center started in 1931, when workers building the center put up the first one. No tree was put up the following year, and in 1933, the first tree-lighting ceremony took place.

People will be able to view the tree until Jan. 7 2013 and then it will be turned into lumber for Habitat for Humanity.