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The White House contains a storied history of winter holiday celebrations and traditions. Spanning from 1800 to the present, presidents and their families have incorporated their own festivities and engaged the public in activities at the White House during the winter months.
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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. President Calvin Coolidge was the first chief executive to preside over a public celebration during the holidays with the lighting of the National Christmas Tree in 1923. In 1979, President
The holiday season at the White House is celebrated with an abundance of glittering décor, decadent desserts, and fresh pine. One of the sweetest traditions at the Executive Mansion is the unveiling of the official holiday gingerbread house. Since the late 1960s, pastry chefs have created this intricately detailed, candy-adorned house for the enjoyment of the First Family and W
A History of Celebrations, the National Christmas Tree Lighting, and Decorations
From nineteenth-century celebrations to the extravagant décor and parties of the twentieth and twenty-first centuries, the White House is full of rich Christmas traditions during the holiday season.
The first Christmas tree in the White House was placed in the Second Floor Oval Room in 1889.
Every year since 1981, the White House Historical Association has had the privilege of designing the Official White House Christmas Ornament. This gallery showcases every ornament we've created, including our new 2024 design, which you can purchase for your own collection in our online shop.