In 2023 we mark the 100th anniversary of the first National Christmas Tree lighting. The lighting ceremony will take place on November 30, 2023, in President’s Park in Washington, DC. From December 2 through January 1, the public can visit the National Christmas Tree and be part of the annual holiday tradition in the nation’s … Continue reading 100th anniversary of the National Christmas Tree lighting
The White House is full of holiday traditions from parties and decorations to the lighting of the National Christmas Tree and Menorah. Today we’re looking back on winter holidays for each President in our Presidential Library system. The National Christmas Tree is illuminated on the Ellipse in Washington DC, 12/9/2010. (National Archives Identifier 176553384) Before … Continue reading Winter at the White House
Tim Gunn will be at the National Archives on December 11, hosting “Deck the Halls: Holidays at the White House.” Join us in person or watch live on our YouTube channel. Details at the bottom of this blog post! It was 40 years before his famous catchphrase, but Tim Gunn knew he needed to “make it … Continue reading A Very Special “Make It Work” Christmas Story
Once upon a time, space was quiet. This was before satellites had cluttered the orbit of the earth, beaming TV shows and text messages and GPS coordinates. Before 1958, space was very quiet. On December 18, 1958, the Air Force placed the first communications satellite, a Project SCORE relay vehicle, into orbit. And then, on … Continue reading Merry Christmas from Space!
The Roosevelts had planned for a "more homey" lighting of the National Christmas tree on December 24 in 1941. FDR had directed that the tree be moved from the Ellipse to the White House grounds, just next to the South Lawn Fountain. But after the attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941, there … Continue reading The 1941 Christmas Tree: A Bright Light in Dark Times
I was going to try to find another bearded man to feature, but it's practically Christmas Eve, and let's face it, Santa Claus has the most famous beard (and reindeer) of all. It's like a giant cloud of fluffy white snow around his chin. It's his defining characteristic. In the middle of July when there's an older gentleman on … Continue reading Facial Hair Friday: That’s not a real beard, Santa!
