Christmas at the White House

Gallery

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This ca. 1896 photograph is one of the earliest known images of a White House Christmas tree. The Cleveland family had their Christmas tree upstairs in the Second Floor Oval Room.
White House Historical Association
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According to popular belief, President Theodore Roosevelt, an avowed conservationist, forbid Christmas trees at the White House. His children surprised the president by hiding a tree in a sewing room closet. December 1903.
White House Historical Association
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President Calvin Coolidge was the first president to participate in a public celebration of the Christmas holiday turning on the switch for the "National Tree Lighting" on the ellipse. December 24, 1923.
Library of Congress
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President Franklin D. Roosevelt and Britain's Prime Minister, Winston Churchill, delivered speeches on the radio before participating in the National Community Tree Lighting Ceremony from the South Portico of the White House. December 24, 1941.
Franklin D. Roosevelt Presidential Library and Museum/NARA
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The Eisenhower family steps from the North Entrance of the White House bearing holiday gifts. December 1957.
National Archives and Records Administration
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Caroline Kennedy and a friend inspect the sugar canes on the holiday tree in the Entrance Hall of the White House. December 12, 1962.
John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum/NARA
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President Lyndon Johnson adjusts an ornament on the Blue Room tree as children invited to the White House for a holiday party look on. December 16, 1964.
Lyndon B. Johnson Presidential Library and Museum/NARA
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The tradition of displaying a gingerbread house in the White House at Christmas began with First Lady Patricia Nixon. December 11, 1972.
Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum/NARA
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First Lady Betty Ford and her daughter, Susan, decorate holiday cookies in the White House Solarium. November 10, 1975.
Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library and Museum/NARA
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U.S. Olympic medalist Peggy Fleming performs on an ice stage set up on the South Lawn of the White House for the Carters and their guests at a holiday party. December 22, 1980.
Jimmy Carter Presidential Library and Museum/NARA
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President Ronald Regan and First Lady Nancy Reagan decorate the family tree in the Second Floor family quarters of the White House. December 1983.
Ronald Reagan Presidential Library and Museum/NARA
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First Lady Barbara Bush and her granddaughter top the National Tree. November 27, 1989.
George Bush Presidential Library and Museum/NARA
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President Bill Clinton and First Lady Hillary Clinton participate in a Menorah lighting ceremony in the Oval Office. December 2000.
William J. Clinton Presidential Library and Museum/NARA
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First Lady Laura Bush receives the Blue Room tree at the North Entrance of the White House. November 28, 2005.
White House Historical Association
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President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama pose for a portrait in front of the official White House Christmas tree in the Blue Room. December 6, 2009.
Official White House Photo by Lawrence Jackson
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First Lady Melania Trump receives the official White House Christmas Tree on the North Drive. November 25, 2019.
Matthew D'Agostino for the White House Historical Association
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This photograph of President Joseph R. Biden, Jr. speaking at the National Christmas Tree Lighting ceremony and concert was taken by Matthew D'Agostino for the White House Historical Association on November 30, 2022. President Biden was joined on stage by First Lady Dr. Jill. President and Dr. Biden were on hand to switch on the lights to the National Christmas Tree. The celebration took place on The Ellipse, located just south of the White House. The 2022 tree lighting was the second presided over by President and Dr. Biden. They were joined in the festive celebration by host LL Cool J and with performances by Shania Twain, Yolanda Adams, The Estefans, Andy Grammer, Ariana DeBose, Joss Stone, and the United States Marine Band.
Matthew D'Agostino for the White House Historical Association

About this Gallery

The White House observance of Christmas before the twentieth century was not an official event. First families decorated the house modestly with greens and privately celebrated the Yuletide with family and friends. The first known White House Christmas tree, decorated with candles and toys, was placed in the Second Floor Oval Room, then used as a library and family parlor, in 1889 for President Benjamin Harrison and his family. In 1894, three years after electricity was installed in the White House, the first electric lights on a family tree delighted the young daughters of President Grover Cleveland. In 1912, President William H. Taft's children helped decorate the first tree in the Blue Room on the State Floor.

Collection
The 2023 White House Christmas Ornament

Every year since 1981, the White House Historical Association has had the privilege of designing the Official White House Christmas Ornament. These unique collectibles — honoring individual presidents or specific White House anniversaries — have become part of the holiday tradition for millions of American families. In this collection, explore the history behind our 2023 design and learn more about President Gerald R. Ford. Buy
Podcast
U.S. First Ladies: Making History and Leaving Legacies

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Featuring Jonathan Alter, journalist and author of “His Very Best: Jimmy Carter, A Life"
Collection
Weddings and the White House

From First Lady Dolley Madison's sister Lucy Payne Washington's wedding in 1812 to the nuptials of President Joseph Biden and First Lady Jill Biden's granddaughter Naomi Biden on the South Lawn in November 2022, the White House has long been the site of wedding ceremonies and receptions. In over two hundred years, there have been nineteen documented weddings and four receptions hosted
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Home Again with Susan Ford Bales

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Collection
Preservation of the White House

In the 1960s, First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy oversaw the task of restoring the White House interiors and thus founded the White House Historical Association to enhance the understanding, appreciation, and enjoyment of the Executive Mansion. As a part of our mission, the Association provides financial support for acquisitions, refurbishing projects, and preservation initiatives of the White House, which involves collaboration
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The History of Wine and the White House

Featuring Frederick J. Ryan, author of “Wine and the White House: A History" and member of the White House Historical Association’s National Council on White House History
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America’s Irish Roots

Featuring Geraldine Byrne Nason, Ambassador of Ireland to the United States
Collection
The Ford White House 1974 - 1977

Gerald Rudolph Ford Jr., the nation’s only unelected president and vice president, served thirteen terms in Congress before rising to national attention in 1973, when President Richard Nixon nominated him as vice president. Less than a year later, Ford became president, following President Nixon's resignation from office. The Fords made and celebrated history during their time in the White House, fr