White House Christmas

Christmas at the White House is a grand affair that requires months of planning and preparation. It also requires the assistance of hundreds of artists, florists and decorators from around the country.

The first Christmas decorations in the White House were courtesy of President Benjamin Harrison who decorated the Yellow Oval Room. Since then the tradition of decking out the White House in holiday cheer has grown to become a much anticipated event.

Each year a theme for the decorations is chosen by the First Lady. In 2007, the theme was “Holiday in the National Parks” and was intended as a tribute to the more than 300 national parks in the United States. Past themes have included “All Creatures Great and Small”, “A Season of Stories” and “Home for the Holidays”.

In a tradition that started in 1966, the official White House tree is presented to the First Lady by a member of the National Christmas Tree Association. The official tree is displayed in the Blue Room where the chandelier must be removed to make room for the tree which reaches to the ceiling.

While the Blue Room holds the official tree, there are many other trees on display throughout the White House. In 2007, there were a total of 33 Christmas trees, including one in the Oval Office. Decorations are put in place throughout the White House with the help of a small army including florists and decorators. White House holiday decorations in 2007 included 232 wreaths and 862 feet of garland. It takes close to a week to decorate the White House. Once complete, visitors are welcomed to view the beautiful holiday decorations on special holiday tours.

In addition to coordinating the decorating, the First Lady must also help to plan the many holiday parties and events that are held each year. Last year this included 25 events and guests totaling more than 10,000. That’s a lot of eggnog! In fact, White House staff baked 20,000 Christmas cookies and poured 320 gallons of eggnog last year.

Another holiday duty of the First Lady is to help with the design of the official White House Christmas card. An artist works with the First Lady to develop the card that will be sent to everyone on the White House Christmas card list. Last year, 895,000 cards were sent from the White House to recipients all over the world.

A fun White House holiday tradition involves the creation of a grand gingerbread house. In 2007, White House pastry chef Bill Yosses created a replica of the White House using 300 pounds of white chocolate and gingerbread.

Celebrations for Hanukkah are also included in the holiday schedule. There is a Hanukkah reception as well as a menorah lighting ceremony.

Last year more than 60,000 visitors passed through the White House to enjoy the decorations. To be included as a visitor, contact your member of Congress with your request. The White House staff works hard to be sure that as many visitors as possible are able to come and visit during this special time of year.