"Introducing A Presidential Tradition"
Written by C.L. Arbelbide
(January 6, 2001)

"The first National Christmas Tree," lit on December 24, 1923, in the middle of the Ellipse. The Washington Monument is seen in the background. (Library of Congress, Prints and Photographs Division)

1923 The Ellipse

In November 1923, a letter arrived at the White House, from the District of Columbia Public Schools, proposing a lighted Christmas tree be erected on the South Lawn of the White House - hopefully creating a Winter event similar to the White House Easter Egg Roll an event of "national character" which occurred each Spring.

First Lady Grace Coolidge, having arranged for a Christmas sing on the North Lawn of the White House and not wanting two events on White House grounds gave permission to erect a cut Christmas tree on the Ellipse, south of the White House. Organizers promoted the tree as the "National Christmas Tree." To add to the 'national' appeal, President Calvin Coolidge was invited to participate. On December 24 at 5 p.m., the President walked from the Oval Office to the Ellipse, and pushed the button to light the tree, a gift to the President from Middlebury College in the President's native state of Vermont.

That evening a marathon of activities ensued. Citizens returned to the tree at 7 p.m. for a choral concert and performance by the "President's Own" Marine Band quartet. At 9 p.m. citizens headed to the North Lawn for Mrs. Coolidge's carol sing. At midnight it was back to the Ellipse where a sing was under way as a reenactment of the Wise men's journey was being acted out at the nearby Washington Monument.

In Sherman Plaza, just south of the Treasury Department, workers decorated the 1927 National Christmas Tree. Spotlights added to the tree's illumination. To announce the lighting, a signal flare was launched from the Ellipse into the sky. The flare was visible to most parts of the city. (National Park Service Historic Photograph Collection - Harpers Ferry Center)

1924-1933
Sherman Plaza

In 1924, the American Forestry Association - who had promoted the planting of live community trees in memory of those who lost their lives in World War I - donated to the Christmas Eve event a living tree. Because of the recreational and multipurpose uses of the Ellipse throughout the year the permanent tree was planted in nearby Sherman Plaza, (southeast of the White House and south of the Treasury Building). On Christmas Eve both President Coolidge and First Lady Grace Coolidge participated in the tree lighting ceremony.

Organizers (including representatives of various electrical-related organizations promoting the use of lighted community trees throughout the United States) renamed the tree "The National Community Christmas Tree." The phrase "Community" remained until the late 1960's when the name of the tree returned to the "National Christmas Tree."

Back on the East Coast, the Washington, D.C. lighting ceremony event - although without any formal 'national' recognition - grew in popularity and expanded with activities. The event drew together the First Couple and the citizens in an intimate Christmas Eve gathering. Representatives of the Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts began to greet the President and First Lady.

In 1925, the ceremony was broadcast over radio airwaves. In 1926 a signal flare was launched from the nearby Ellipse signaling the lighting of the tree and prompting buglers stationed throughout the Capitol to musically announce the illumination.

The effect of the weight and heat of the electric lights took its toll on the tree which had to be replaced in 1929. That year the presidential tradition of lighting the tree was passed on to President Herbert Hoover and First Lady Lou Hoover. In time President Hoover's short greeting evolved into a presidential message. In 1932 citizens passing by were amazed to hear holiday music coming from the tree. Audio equipment had been concealed under the tree's branches. The guard on duty protecting the tree had the dual duty of changing the music.

President Franklin D. Roosevelt and First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt presided at the last lighting in Sherman Plaza in 1933. Landscaping of the Plaza relocated the ceremony to Lafayette Park, north of the White House in 1934.

Of the two Fraser firs planted in Lafayette Square, the west tree was selected for the 1934 lighting ceremony. In the background is the statue of Andrew Jackson. (National Park Service Historic Photograph Collection - Harpers Ferry Center)

1934-1938
Lafayette Park

In Lafayette Park, north of the White House, two Fraser fir trees were planted, in 1934, on the east and west sides of the Jackson Statue in hopes that they would be used in alternate years. President Franklin D. Roosevelt never missed the ceremony nor the opportunity to deliver a Christmas Eve message heard by radio listeners coast to coast. During one on the lighting ceremonies the President repeated pushed the button only to have the tree remain dark. Newspapers later reported the button pushed by the President actually signaled an electrician (stationed down a manhole under the street) to light the tree.

1939-1940 The Ellipse

The site for the tree lighting tradition came full circle when the ceremony returned to the Ellipse in 1939. Each of these two years, live red cedar trees were transplanted from land near George Washington's home in Mount Vernon to the Ellipse. At the 1940 ceremony President Franklin D. Roosevelt prefaced his prepared remarks with an announcement that if it was desirable he and Mrs. Roosevelt would like the celebration moved to the South Lawn of the White House grounds next year remarking that such a shift in locale would make for a "more homey" celebration.

Despite the United States' entrance into World War II in early December 1941, the east Oriental spruce tree on the White House South Lawn was lit on Christmas Even by President Franklin D. Roosevelt from the South Portico. British Prime Minister Winston Churchill, on the President's right, was invited by the President to speak to the crowd. (Photo by Franklin D. Roosevelt Library)

1941-1953
White House
South Lawn

In May of 1941, President Roosevelt's memo reminded his staff of his desire to have the ceremony brought to the White House grounds. That Fall, two living Oriental spruce trees were transplanted from the nearby presidential tennis court to positions east and west of the South Lawn fountain. Despite the country's grim wartime reality the South Lawn was opened to the general public who were required to check their packages at the gate before entering. As twilight approached both President Roosevelt and British Prime Minister Winston Churchill appeared between the central columns of the South Portico porch.

Both world leaders spoke to the crowd. Their messages, transmitted throughout the world by radio, focused on the war and the meaning of Christmas Day. President Roosevelt encouraged listeners "to arm their hearts" "for the labor and suffering and the ultimate victory which lie ahead." Prime Minister Churchill appealed to listeners to "Let the children have their night of fun and laughter. Let gifts of Father Christmas delight their hearts; let us share in the full in their unstinted pleasure before we turn again to the stern tasks in the year that lies before us. Now, by our sacrifice and daring, these same children shall not be robbed of their inheritance or denied the right to live in a free, and decent world."

In 1942, city organizers ruled out having a tree ceremony. Opposition from First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt reversed the decision. As a compromise, and in order to conserve electricity, lights were not used. Undeterred, the District Recreation Department, in conjunction with the White House, organized a drive to collect tree ornaments . Washington school children took up the 'decorating' cause collecting both old and new ornaments from citizens throughout the Capital region. Their efforts brought new meaning to the tree's title of "Community." At the official ceremony, chimes were substituted for the "lighting" of the tree. Observers commented that the 1942 tree was the most beautiful of all the previous "National" trees. War-time restrictions remained in force from 1943 to 1944. School children continued to collect Christmas ornaments which eventually were received from citizens throughout the country. In 1943, tags, attached to each decoration, dedicated each ornament to members of the armed services - from every rank from Private to Rear Admiral and General - many of whom who had died in battle. When President Roosevelt lit the 1944 tree, via his home in Hyde Park, New York, his 1940 invitation to open the South Lawn to the public was still in effect. Citizens listened to the President's Yule message broadcast by radio and to hear a concert of seasonal music by the "President's Own" Marine Band. Little could one imagine this would be the last Roosevelt tree ceremony.

With 1945 came the end of the war and a lifting of many of the restrictions. Lights for the tree were donated by the Electrical Institute of Washington and President Harry S. Truman performed the lighting honors. In 1946 the colorful event was televised for the first time. While the reception of the television was not widespread, because of limitations on both transmissions and reception, President Truman's remarks continued to be broadcast coast to coast by radio.

During President Truman's tenure a newspaper article revealed why he - like President Roosevelt before him - indirectly lit the tree. Seems that U.S. Secret Service would not allow the President to light anything over 6 volts. From 1948 to 1951 President Truman lit the tree symbolically from his residence in Independence, Missouri. Although the grounds near the White House were filled with construction equipment and materials for the ongoing renovation, citizens continued to celebrate the Christmas Eve ceremony inside the secured area. President Truman returned for his last lighting ceremony in 1952.

The South Lawn lighting tradition continued through 1953 as President Dwight D. Eisenhower and First Lady Mamie Eisenhower on hand to enjoy the festivities.

A 67-foot Engelmann spruce from New Mexico is planted on the Ellipse in preparation for the second annual Christmas Pageant of Peace in December 1956. (NPS Photo by Abbie Rowe)

1954-1960 The Ellipse

In 1954 the event returned to the Ellipse. Cut trees, donated from various states were erected from 1954 to 1972. A "Pathway of Peace" was constructed out to the tree and lined with smaller trees - eventually representing one for each state, the District of Columbia, and each of the United States' territories.

To infuse new energy into the event and in hope of establishing a 'Winter Festival' - similar to the "Spring Cherry Blossom Festival" Washington, D.C. had become so famous for - local businessmen incorporated and introduced the Christmas Pageant of Peace. The traditional intimate Christmas Eve lighting ceremony was replaced with a three-week Winter festival that began on December 17, 1954 with President Dwight D. Eisenhower lighting the tree.

Donations came in other forms. In 1958 the Territory Governor of Alaska sent 14 reindeer and a caribou to the Pageant as a gift to the nation. Eight of the reindeer were pregnant. At the end of the event the animals took up residence in the National Zoo. That following January 3, 1959, Alaska formally became the 49th state.

Because of the multipurpose uses of the Ellipse, a cut tree - rather than live tree - was erected in the center of the Ellipse. Visitors would be able to stroll down the "Pageant of Peace" walkway which passed by the lighted tree and led to a variety of surrounding exhibits (which included a stage for nightly entertainment, a life-size nativity scene complete with live animals, a special children's corner; and exhibition booths). Just before the first Pageant lighting, scheduled for 5 p.m. on December 17, two sheep made their escape from the Nativity into the nearby rush-hour traffic. Police on motorcycles with sidecars rounded up the stray livestock returning them safely before the Presidential party arrived which included President and Mrs. Eisenhower, Vice President Richard Nixon, his wife Pat and their daughters Tricia and Julie.

The event was broadcast by radio to an audience which included the armed forces stationed throughout the world. Over the next three weeks, 27 embassies participated in the Christmas Pageant of Peace program with songs, dances, and tableaux interpreting Christmas traditions and customs of their native lands. One of the most popular events was the next-day arrival of "Santa Claus," Donald Fyninlson of North Pole, New York, who drove down the Pathway of Peace on his reindeer-drawn sled.

The tragic turn of event on November 22, 1963, resulting in the death of President John F. Kennedy postponed the lighting ceremony to after the thirty-day period of national mourning had passed. On December 22 President Lyndon Johnson, accompanied by First Lady Lady Bird Johnson and daughter Lucy Bird, lit the tree. (NPS Photo by Abbie Rowe)

1961-1972
The Ellipse

President John F. Kennedy, having missed his first tree lighting in 1961 due to his father's illness, was present in 1962 to perform the presidential tradition. In 1963, the U.S. Postal Service issued the country's second Christmas stamp which showcased Lily Spandorf's painting of the 1962 lighting ceremony.

The tragic turn of event on November 22, 1963, resulting in the death of President Kennedy postponed the lighting ceremony to after the thirty-day period of national mourning had passed. On December 22 President Lyndon Johnson, accompanied by First Lady Lady Bird Johnson and daughter Lucy Bird, lit the tree. President Johnson continued the tradition through 1968.

President Richard M. Nixon presided in 1969 through 1973. During one tree-lighting ceremony, protesters used the occasion to voice opposition to the United States' involvement in Vietnam.

1973-1980 The Ellipse

President Nixon responded to the hundreds of letters received from individual and environmental groups around the country asking for the end to using cut trees for the ceremony. In 1973 a 42-foot, living Colorado blue spruce from northern Pennsylvania was donated, by the National Arborist Association, to serve as a permanent "National Christmas Tree" and President Nixon was on hand to "flip the switch."

The following year, in 1974 a bronze plaque commemorating the tree was placed at the site by John W. Dixon, President of the Christmas Pageant of Peace Committee, Inc. Designed by Giannetti's Studio, the plaque weighed 214 lbs.

Both President Gerald R. Ford and First Lady Betty Ford lit the tree from 1974 through 1976.

In 1975, the "Miniature White House," constructed by The John Zweifel family of Florida, was displayed near the tree. Under design and construction since 1962, the "Miniature White House" would be exhibited throughout the United States, drawing the enthusiastic support of the current and former Presidents and First Ladies as well as the general public.

The living tree was unable to survive the Washington heat prompting National Park Service officials to revive their search. In 1977, after covering 7,000 miles, officials settled on a 34-foot Colorado blue spruce growing in nearby Maryland. Transplanted to the Ellipse in November, the tree stood ready as President Jimmy Carter, First Lady Rosalynn Carter and daughter Amy lit their first "National" tree on December 15, 1977. Sadly the new tree was blown down in heavy winds the following January, 1978, forcing the National Park Service (NPS) into a third search-a search which ended in the front yard of William E. and Helen Myers of York, Pennsylvania.

When Amy Carter pushed the button on December 13, 1979, only the top of the tree and the surrounding state trees were illuminated. "Amy has lit fifty trees" President Jimmy Carter told the stunned crowd, "one for each American hostage." "We will turn on the rest of the lights when the hostages come home." (NPS Photo)

When Amy Carter pushed the button on December 13, 1979, only the top of the tree and the surrounding state trees were illuminated. "Amy has lit fifty trees" President Jimmy Carter told the stunned crowd, "one for each American hostage." "We will turn on the rest of the lights when the hostages come home." Following the approving applause, the President requested a moment of silent prayer.

On December 18, 1980, and for the second year in a row, the tree remained unlighted. However, in a special tribute sponsored by the National Broadcasters Association, the tree was fully lighted for 417 seconds--one second for each day the hostages had been in captivity. On President Ronald Reagan's Inaugural Day January 20, 1981, the hostages were released. The tree was hastily decorated and lit in time for their return.

n 1988 President Reagan said, "thanks for a free America," as he threw the switch at the White House to light the National Christmas Tree for the eighth and last time. (White House Photo)

1981-1988 The Ellipse

Security concerns following a 1981 assassination attempt in Washington, D.C. led to the decision to have President Ronald Reagan light the National Christmas Tree from the White House. In 1981 the red, white and blue lights of the National Christmas Tree were illuminated on December 17 by pushing a remote button in the East Room. The disappointed Boy Scout and Girl Scout who were scheduled to deliver greetings to the President and First Lady on the Ellipse were invited to the 1982 ceremony inside the White House.

Throughout the Reagan years the tree lighting ceremonies often involved children. In 1983 seven-year-old Amy Benham, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. John Benham, of Westport, Washington was invited to join President Reagan and First Lady Nancy Reagan in lighting the tree. Amy had written to the "Make A Wish" program asking to participate in the tree lighting ceremony. The program was to help make dreams come true for children with disabilities or life-threatening illnesses.

Nancy Reagan lit the tree on December 13, 1984 from the South Portico of the White House. With temperatures above 70 degrees, it was one of the warmest tree lighting in history. In 1985 President Reagan, accompanied by The First Lady, who while holding her dog "Rex," turned on the Christmas tree lights from a remote on the South Portico of the White House on December 12. In 1986 for the opening of the Pageant, December 11, President Reagan delivered his Christmas message by video remote and then, along with he First Lady, was joined by 8-year-old Byron Whyte and "Big Brother" Francis Hinton of the National Capital Area Big Brothers and Big Sisters.

In 1987 the National Christmas Tree lighting program was held Monday, December 7, earlier than usual because of the President's impending four-day summit meeting with Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev. President Reagan and a 5-year-old cystic fibrosis patient from New Jersey lit the tree by remote control from the White House. In 1988 President Reagan said, "thanks for a free America," as he threw the switch at the White House to light the National Christmas Tree for the eighth and last time.

Mrs. Barbara Bush, wife of Vice President George Bush, accompanied by Joseph H. Riley, President of the Christmas Pageant of Peace, tops the 1984 National Christmas Tree. The traditional tree-topping ceremony always initiates the decoration and lighting of the tree. (NPS Photo by Bill Clark)

1989 - 1992 The Ellipse

As wife of Vice President George Bush, Barbara Bush topped the National Christmas Tree on four occasions. As First Lady, Mrs. Bush became the first individual to participate in both the tree topping and tree lighting ceremonies. On December 14, 1989 the ceremony returned to the Ellipse after the eight-year absence where President George Bush and Mrs. Bush and their granddaughter Marshall as a trio pulled the switch which illuminated the tree with thousands of red, white and blue lights symbolic of the President's "thousand points of light" speech during his election campaign.

President and Mrs. Bush returned to the Ellipse on December 13, 1990 to watch the opening of the Pageant of Peace from a box near the stage. On December 12, 1991, President Bush was joined for the tree lighting by Terry Anderson, the last hostage to be released from Lebanon, and four other former hostages Alann Steen, Thomas Sutherland, Joseph Cicippio and Jesse Turner. A short delay between the President's signal and the electrician's response caused organizers to hold their breath and made the darkened tree appear to be a repeat of the blacked out trees of 1979 and 1980. Within a few seconds electricity was restored and the tree burst into color to the deep sign of relief by all involved. Despite the December 10, 1992 weather conditions of snow, rain and 35 degree temperature, President Bush pushed the button to the delight of the 7,000 individuals who braved the elements.

President and Mrs. Clinton lights the National Christmas Tree with John Betchkal, President of the Christmas Pageant of Peace, and some young helpers on December 5, 1996. (NPS Photo by Terry Adams)

1993-2000
The Ellipse

With First Lady Hillary Rodham Clinton and daughter Chelsea in attendance, President Bill Clinton gave his first Christmas message to the nation on December 9, 1993, then threw the switch to light the National Christmas Tree. The estimated crowd of 9,000 enjoyed not only the ceremony but the clear balmy weather. On December 7, 1994 some 6,500 persons watched as 14-year-old Chelsea Clinton lit the tree. In 1995 following the return of his trip to Northern Ireland, President Clinton shared the lighting honors with nine-year-old Catherine Hamill of Belfast. A Government furlough threatened a Christmas tree blackout. Private funds kept the tree lit. Disappointment continued when the National Park Service announced, that in response to animal protesters, the reindeer would no longer be in residence.

On December 5, 1996, December 4, 1997, December 9, 1998 and December 8, 1999 President Clinton continued his participation in the tree lighting ceremony. On December 11, 2000, President Clinton along with First Lady/Senator-elect Hillary Rodham Clinton and daughter Chelsea attended their final tree lighting ceremony. In his remarks the President thanked the country for the opportunity to serve these past eight years.

President Truman turns the switch to light the National Community Christmas Tree on December 24, 1945. Edward Kelly of the National Captial Parks holds the switchbox while Brigadier Gereral Gordon Young looks on. (National Park Service Historic Photograph Collection - Harpers Ferry Center)

The Switchbox
Connection

In 1923, President Coolidge pushed a button at the end of a long cord which was attached to batteries stored beneath the branches of the 1923 tree.

By the mid-1930s, a formal 'switch' box was introduced. Occasionally fitted with a switch - sometimes fitted with a button - the box has been held by each succeeding President. An engraved plaque containing the participating President's names is placed and when filled, replaced on the box. Between tree lightings the box remains in the possession of the President's Park.

About the author

C.L. Arbelbide is a librarian, author and historian who specializes in federal holiday history.  She is an author of the children's book, "The White House Easter Egg Roll" that was published in 1997 by the White House Historical Association.  Ms. Arbelbide also contributes articles on federal holidays to the National Archives journal, Prologue.