The White House Christmas tree , also known as the Blue Room Christmas tree , is the official indoor Christmas tree at the residence of the President of the United States, the White House. The first indoor Christmas tree was installed in the White House sometime in the 19th century (there are varying claims as to the exact year) and since 1961 the tree has had a themed motif at the discretion of the First Lady of the United States.
History
First tree
Depending on which sources are consulted, the White House never had a Christmas tree until the 1850s or 1889. There are two claims to the "first" genuine White House Christmas tree. President Franklin Pierce is said to have had the first indoor Christmas tree at the White House during the 1850s, variously reported as 1853 or 1856. Others claim the first tree was during President Benjamin Harrison's administration (either in 1889, or 1891). First Lady Caroline Harrison helped decorate the tree, which was installed in the second floor oval parlor today's Yellow Oval Room. Harrison was credited with installing the first White House Christmas tree by the White House web site during the presidency of George W. Bush.
General
Following the Harrison administration indoor trees were not always used at the White House. First Lady Lou Henry Hoover began the tradition of presidential wives decorating the White House tree with the first "official" White House Christmas tree in 1929. In 1961 First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy began the tradition of selecting a theme for the White House Christmas tree by decorating with a Nutcracker motif.
Years without a tree
As stated, there were years where no indoor White House Christmas tree was installed at all. It is verifiable that there was no Christmas tree in the White House in 1902, 1904, and 1922. The lack of a tree in 1902 was due to the fact that President Theodore Roosevelt had not ordered one by December 23.
Additionally, other presidents never displayed a tree in the White House. First U.S. President George Washington held office at a time when there was no White House, thus it is impossible for him to have displayed a tree there. There is no evidence that Abraham Lincoln ever displayed a Christmas tree in the White House. In 1922 First Lady Florence Harding's illness led to a more subdued Christmas celebration at the White House and no Christmas tree.
Tree
Description
The White House Christmas tree is selected from various growers nationwide. Growers in the state of North Carolina have provided 11 trees, more than any other state. The state of Wisconsin has the second highest total of trees provided for the White House with six. The White House Christmas tree has been displayed in the Blue Room many times since 1961. It has also occasionally been displayed in the Entrance Hall.
Generally, there is more than one Christmas tree in and around the White House, for instance, in 1997 there were 36, in 2008 there were 27. Traditionally, the tree in the Blue Room is the official White House Christmas tree. The White House Christmas tree usually stands nearly 20 feet tall and the crystal chandelier in the Blue Room must be removed for the tree to fit the room. Frequently, the tree's height is reported as 18 or 18½ feet tall. The Blue Room tree is donated each year by the National Christmas Tree Association (NCTA). The NCTA has donated the tree since 1966; it is chosen through a contest among members of the trade group.
List of White House Christmas trees (1961-2009)
List of other known White House Christmas trees
Controversy
The official White House Christmas tree has several times been seen as controversial by some. The Nixon administration's choice of tree topper, the atomic symbol of peace rather than a traditional star, was criticized. The 1995 Blue Room Christmas tree sought ornaments made by architecture students from across the United States. Rene Spineto stirred up some controversy when she designed an ornament that depicted two stockings, one marked "Bill" and the other marked "Newt" (in reference to President Bill Clinton and Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich). While the stocking marked "Bill" was filled with candy and presents, the one marked "Newt" was filled with coal. The Clinton administration hung the ornament on the tree without censorship.
In his 1998 book Unlimited Access, former-FBI agent Gary Aldrich describes what he claims he saw in the White House during the Clinton administration. The book, published by an established conservative publishing house, Regnery Publishing, states that the 1994 White House Christmas tree was decorated with condoms and drug paraphernalia. George Stephanopoulos called the book a "work of fiction"; it has also been called "infamous".
In 2008 one of the ornaments designed by a Seattle artist, Deborah Lawrence, was rejected for inclusion on the Blue Room Christmas tree. The rejected ornament was a red and white striped 9-inch ball with the words "Impeach Bush" emblazoned on it. The ornament was the only one of about 370 submitted that was rejected.
See also
- National Christmas Tree
- Capitol Christmas Tree
- The Tree at Rockefeller Center
References
- ^ a b c d Knutson, Lawrence L. "White House Christmases Weren't Always Fancy Affairs", The Seattle Times , December 18, 1994, accessed March 30, 2009.
- ^ a b "A Christmas Reversal", The New York Times December 25, 1994, accessed March 29, 2009.
- ^ "History of Christmas trees", National Christmas Tree Association , accessed April 1, 2009.
- ^ a b "Christmas Trees & More", University of Illinois Extension , Urban Programs Resource Network, accessed March 29, 2009.
- ^ a b c d e f "The Start of a Holiday Tradition", White House Historical Association , accessed March 29, 2009.
- ^ a b "White House Christmas Trees", photo gallery, Whitehouse.gov, 2001, accessed April 1, 2009.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j "Jacqueline Kennedy Refines the Season", White House Historical Association , accessed March 29, 2009.
- ^ a b "The White House Christmas; Mrs. Roosevelt Will Act as Santa Claus's Agent Without a Tree", The New York Times , December 24, 1902, accessed March 30, 2009.
- ^ "Yuletide in Washington; No Christmas Tree at the White House -- Many Family Parties", The New York Times , December 25, 1904, accessed March 29, 2009.
- ^ a b "Harding Christmas Quiet; Mrs. Harding's Illness Prevents Celebration in White House", The New York Times , December 24, 1922, accessed March 30, 2009.
- ^ "George and Martha Washington", Christmas at the White House , Herbert Hoover Presidential Library and Museum , accessed March 31, 2009.
- ^ "Abraham and Mary Lincoln", Christmas at the White House , Herbert Hoover Presidential Library and Museum , accessed March 31, 2009.
- ^ a b Mitchell, Monte. "Officials choose White House Christmas tree in Ashe County", Winston-Salem Journal , October 21, 2008, accessed March 29, 2009.
- ^ a b c d e f g h "White House Christmas Trees", photo slideshow, aol.com , December 2008, accessed March 29, 2009.
- ^ a b c