Christmas at the White House

As I drove down 95 South to Richmond this past weekend, I peaked across the Potomac at my former home of Washington, DC. The monuments were beautifully illuminated against the water and part of me really missed living there. It really is a beautiful city with so much to offer.

While DC has never been a city to overly decorate for Christmas, the holiday tradition of the White House Christmas tree has always fascinated me. Beginning in 1929 when First Lady Lou Henry Hoover oversaw the decoration of the first "official" White House Christmas tree, the tradition has continued on until present day, with the First Lady customarily attending to the decorations.

(President Kennedy and First Lady Jackie Kennedy with their Nutcracker tree in the Blue Room in 1961)

(Patterson family Nutcracker tree)

Jackie Kennedy started the idea of the Christmas tree theme in 1961, with her Nutcracker tree based on Tchaikovsky's timeless ballet. This is by far my favorite White House tree, as we always had two trees in our house growing up - a family tree full of ornaments collected and made over the years, as well as a more formal decorative "Nutcracker" tree that my mother oversaw. We collected handmade ornaments of Nutcracker characters year after year and now the tree is so full of these characters, we barely have room for them all! Christmas has always been a special time for my family, as we have stored up so many wonderful memories in boxes of Christmas decorations. I hope one day this collection of memorable Nutcracker ornaments will be passed on to me so I can continue in this beloved family tradition.

(President Johnson in the Blue Room on December 16, 1964)

As the country mourned the loss of President Kennedy and tried to heal, Lady Claudia ("Lady Bird") Johnson chose a theme of comfort and American tradition for her White House Tree. 

(The Nixon tree, 1969)

For First Lady Patricia Nixon's 1969 "American Flower" tree, disabled workers in Florida made velvet and satin ball ornaments featuring each state's flower.

(First Lady Patricia Nixon in the White House on December 11, 1972)

Patricia Nixon also started the tradition of displaying a gingerbread house in the White House at Christmas.

(President Ford and First Lady Betty Ford in front of the 1974 Blue Room tree)

In 1974, First Lady Betty Ford chose a theme of crafts, thrift and recycling. Patchwork and handmade ornaments were made by Appalachian women and senior citizen groups. She continued this theme in 1975 with the addition of handmade ornaments from experts in Colonial Williamsburg to achieve an "old-fashioned children's Christmas" feel.

(The Carter Christmas tree, 1977)

First Lady Rosalynn Carter decided to have her ornaments made by members of the National Association for Retarded Citizens. The tree featured handpainted milkweed pods, nut pods and eggshell ornaments.

(The Reagan tree in 1981)

(President and Mrs. Reagan decorate their family tree in 1983)

While First Lady Nancy Reagan chose themes for eight White House Christmases, the most creative are her 1986 "Mother Goose" tree, which featured nursery rhyme scenes, and her 1987 "musical" tree, which was decorated in miniature instruments, notes and sheet music.

(President George Bush and First Lady Barbara Bush in 1991)

In 1990, First Lady Barbara Bush revisited the Nutcracker theme with porcelain figurine ornaments. In 1991, she chose a "needle work" theme which featured needlepoint figure from the story of Noah's Ark.

(The Clintons in the Blue Room in 1995. I'm starting to see a theme here with the First Lady outfits)

President Clinton and First Lady Hilary Clinton with their "A Visit From St. Nicholas" tree, which featured ornaments with an architectural theme made by architecture students and members of the American Institute of Architects.

(First Lady Laura Bush receives the 2005 tree at the North Entrance to the White House on November 28, 2005)

(2005 Blue Room tree)

First Lady Laura Bush also displayed eight different Christmas tree themes during her time in the White House. Here, the theme of "All Things Bright and Beautiful" highlighted the beauty found in nature by using fresh flowers. As an animal lover myself, my favorite theme of Laura Bush's, however, has to be her "All Creatures Great and Small" decorative display of 2002.

(The Obama 2010 tree in the Blue Room)

(a close-up of a "simple gift" ornament)

This year's White House Christmas tree features First Lady Michelle Obama's chosen theme of "Simple Gifts," which honors county and state fairs with ornaments made with natural and locally found materials made by students from the Savannah College of Art and Design.

I love the idea of choosing a theme for my Christmas tree every year! Maybe one day I'll be able to tour the White House at Christmas to get some inspiration. But for now, our Nutcracker tree is perfect;) What about you? Would you like to chose a theme for your tree every year? What themes would you chose?

Images via 1. Wikipedia; 2. Jessica Patterson; 3. White House Historical Association; 4. Oprah; 5. White House Historical Association; 6. Gerald R. Ford Library; 7. Jimmy Carter Presidential Library; 8. Ronald Reagan Presidential Library; 9. White House Historical Association; 10. George Bush Presidential Library and Museum; 11. Oprah; 12. White House Historical Association; 13. Wikipedia; 14. and 15. Comcast.