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The Official 2022 White House Christmas Ornament

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  • Official 2022 White House Christmas Ornament

    1 of 2

    This photograph of the White House Historical Associations Official White House Christmas Ornament was photographed by David Wiegold. The 2022 ornament commemorates the presidency of Richard M. Nixon, who held office from January 20, 1969 until August 9, 1974. The ornament represents what has become one of the White House's most cherished holiday traditions: the White House gingerbread house. Although gingerbread was used for holiday decorations and small gingerbread houses had previously been gifted to the White House, it wasn't until 1969 that White House Assistant Chef Hans Raffert built a traditional German A-frame style house for the Nixon family. Raffert's first gingerbread was decorated with white icing as well as colorful candies and gumdrops. Raffert continued making a gingerbread house in this fashion every year until his retirement in 1992. White House gingerbread displays became larger and more elaborate under White House Executive Pastry Chef Roland Mesnier, who oversaw the creation of festive villages, childhood homes, castles, national monuments and historic sites, and marzipan sculptures of thefirst families and their pets. During the George W. Bush presidency, a gingerbread replica of the White House became the standard that continues today. These gingerbread houses are often molded out of chocolate, weigh around 300 pounds, and are assembled and decorated by a team of confectionary experts.

    David Wiegold for the White House Historical Association
  • Official 2022 White House Christmas Ornament

    2 of 2

    This photograph of the reverse side of the White House Historical Associations Official White House Christmas Ornament was photographed by David Wiegold. The 2022 ornament commemorates the presidency of Richard M. Nixon, who held office from January 20, 1969 until August 9, 1974. The ornament represents what has become one of the White House's most cherished holiday traditions: the White House gingerbread house. Although gingerbread was used for holiday decorations and small gingerbread houses had previously been gifted to the White House, it wasn't until 1969 that White House Assistant Chef Hans Raffert built a traditional German A-frame style house for the Nixon family. Raffert's first gingerbread was decorated with white icing as well as colorful candies and gumdrops. Raffert continued making a gingerbread house in this fashion every year until his retirement in 1992. White House gingerbread displays became larger and more elaborate under White House Executive Pastry Chef Roland Mesnier, who oversaw the creation of festive villages, childhood homes, castles, national monuments and historic sites, and marzipan sculptures of thefirst families and their pets. During the George W. Bush presidency, a gingerbread replica of the White House became the standard that continues today. These gingerbread houses are often molded out of chocolate, weigh around 300 pounds, and are assembled and decorated by a team of confectionary experts.

    David Wiegold for the White House Historical Association

The Official 2022 White House Christmas Ornament represents the cherished White House tradition of displaying a gingerbread house each holiday in the State Dining Room.

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