Main Content

President and Dr. Biden with LL Cool J at the 2021 National Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony

This photograph was taken by Thomas Goertel on December 2, 2021, at the National Christmas Tree Lighting ceremony on the Ellipse. This photograph was taken shortly after President Joseph R. Biden and First Lady Dr. Jill Biden lit the National Christmas Tree. Here, President Joseph R. Biden and First Lady Dr. Jill Biden depart the stage with rapper and actor LL Cool J, who served as host of the event. The 2021 National Christmas Tree Lighting ceremony featured performances by Billy Porter, Chris Stapleton, H.E.R., Juanes, Keb Mo, Kristin Chenoweth, Maren Morris, and Patti LaBelle. The lighting of the National Christmas Tree is a cherished holiday tradition in Washington, D.C. When President Calvin Coolidge lit the first tree in 1923, the celebration attracted more than 6,000 spectators. The opening ceremony and nightly holiday concerts have annually drawn hundreds of attendees.
Photographer
Thomas Goertel
Date of Work
December 2, 2021
Type
Photograph
Credit
Photo by Thomas Goertel for the White House Historical Association
View in the Digital Library

You Might Also Like

  • Article

    Out-Takes: One Photographer's White House Experience

    One who grows up in Washington sees evidence of the nation’s governance firsthand. The caravans of black cars, senators browsing in bookstores, an occasion when the president is there and you shake his hand, a march or demonstration of one sort or another, the thrill of an inauguration day: all are likely experiences. Nothing, however, prepared me for taking my

  • Article

    Warren G. Harding Funeral

    The stunning news of President Harding's death came to the White House by telephone on August 2, 1923. The president had fallen ill and died suddenly of a heart attack in San Francisco while on a tour of the western states. Floral tributes—bouquets, crosses, wreaths, anchors of hope and many other traditional symbols of mourning—began to arrive as soon as the

  • Article

    Working Horses at the White House

    The presidential horses earned their oats and were on call 24 hours a day. Years of pounding the asphalt streets of Washington would take a toll on the feet and legs of these horses and they required and were given the best of care. Messengers, secretaries, clerks and the housekeeper used the government horses for daily business and for hauling produce

  • Article

    President Lincoln's Christmas Gift, 1864

    One hundred fifty years ago, the United States experienced its last holiday season of the Civil War. For the past three Decembers, President Abraham Lincoln had been frustrated by defeats on the battlefield and the continuation of a seemingly endless war. This Christmas of 1864 however, President Lincoln had much to celebrate. He was glad First Lady Mary Lincoln had returned

  • Article

    Theodore Roosevelt’s White House

    Theodore Roosevelt’s remodeling of the White House in 1902 transformed it from a crazy quilt of alterations over time into a cohesive statement of modern times. Of course the historic original house prevailed. That it be kept was central to the stated concept of “restoration” that architect Charles F. McKim laid before the president and first lady. The familiar White House

  • Gallery

    White House Pets in the Past

    Pet keeping in America evolved from Native Americans' and European settlers' domesticating animals as hunters, guardians, workers, and companions. Horses, cows, goats, chickens, dogs, cats, songbirds, parrots, and other small animals were a part of daily life during the early years of the White House.Since 1870, domestic pets at the White House have mirrored the species generally seen in American

  • Gallery

    Beyond the Press Room

    The range of the press within the White House Grounds is not limited to the James S. Brady Press Briefing Room but extends to many areas within the complex from which journalists broadcast the daily news, cover unfolding events, conduct interviews, and attend scheduled press briefings. With the participation of the White House Press Office, they cover the territory fairly

  • Gallery

    Christmas at the White House

    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,

  • Gallery

    Out-Takes: One Photographer's White House Experience

    Professional photographer Maggie Knaus was commissioned by the White House Historical Association to document numerous events at the White House. The largest grouping of her photographs was taken to illustrate The White House: An Illustrated History, published in 2004. This book, written for students by Catherine O’Neill Grace, is a behind-the-scenes glimpse into what it takes to run the White Ho

  • Gallery

    Intrepid Innovation

    The computer, the car, space travel. These technologies, while seemingly old hat now, are examples of monumental technological advancement. Even less glamorous technologies such as the modern bathroom, electrical lighting, and electric vacuum cleaners have fundamentally shaped modern life. For many of these technologies, the White House has acted as a testing ground, ultimately demonstrating to the American people their