Christmas has been celebrated at the White House as far back as 1800. Pictured: President John Adams.
As President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump celebrated the last Christmas of the former and future president’s first term in 2020, Virginia Chamlee of People magazine completed a profile on some of the little-known White House Christmas stories and traditions. Not surprisingly numerous stories about Christmas customs have taken place over the years, and some of the events have remained unknown to even the keenest of presidential observers. In the spirit of the season, this author would like to borrow from Ms. Chamlee and share a few highlights with our readers.
Stewart D. McLaurin, president of the White House Historical Association explains, “The first White House Christmas party occurred less than two months after the first occupants moved in.” President John Adams and his wife Abigail moved into the White House as Adams’ term concluded in December 1800. The couple held a party for their four-year-old granddaughter Susanna Boylston Adams. Government officials were invited, along with their children, beginning a long tradition of White House parties during the holiday season.
The first lit Christmas tree came to the Oval Room of the mansion in 1894 when President Grover Cleveland resided there during his second term. By 1912, according to Chamlee, the Christmas tree had been moved to the Blue Room (a room with great historical meaning where Cleveland married Frances Folsom, a 21-year-old bride for the 49-year-old president in the only presidential in-service wedding) and displayed there each year since.
One of the most memorable Christmas parties occurred in 1835 near the end of Andrew Jackson’s second term. As Chamlee writes, “President Andrew Jackson hosted what was called a ‘Frolic’ — an over-the-top party — for children in his own family and those related to White House staffers.” Calling it one of the most elaborate celebrations ever held at the White House, McLaurin commented, “There was dancing and dinner and even an indoor ‘snowball’ fight, in which children played with snowballs made out of cotton, especially for the occasion.”
A more humorous story with a twinge of danger unfolded during Teddy Roosevelt’s presidency. Christmas trees were not nearly as popular at the beginning of the 20th century as now. Roosevelt, a solid conservationist did not necessarily favour cutting down trees. As Chamlee relates, not all the family felt the same way. Roosevelt’s young son Archie found a tree on the property, dragged it into the White House, and hid it in a closet after decorating it with candles. Fortunately, it was found before any problems developed and moved to the Blue Room beginning a long tradition that continues. There are Christmas trees throughout the White House today, but the eighteen-and-a-half-foot one in the Blue Room extends right to the ceiling once the work crew removes the chandelier that usually hangs there.
On Dec. 24, 1929, the White House almost went up in smoke, just a century after being restored in a fire during the War of 1812. President Hoover was alerted to the fire and the Fire Department was called, quickly arriving to limit the damage. The children attending the party were in a different part of the White House and did not know what was happening. “It took several months to rebuild, but the following Christmas the Hoovers invited those children back to the White House and gave them a wrought-iron replica of the fire engine that had responded that night,” McLaurin says.
Nonetheless, it was not until First Lady Mamie Eisenhower went all in on Christmas in the 1950s that the White House became a holiday hub.
When did the decoration theme begin? The easy guess traces back to 1961 when First Lady Jackie Kennedy chose the Nutcracker Suite as the theme. A tradition that is still honoured. “Before the Kennedys, a new president and first lady would come into the White House and they could get rid of anything they wanted to,” McLaurin says. “And Congress didn’t provide a lot of money for decorating, so new presidents would often fund [the purchase of] new things by selling old things.”
Since 1961 the decorations have been kept and stored at a large storage facility in Washington. “A whole huge section of that warehouse is devoted to Christmas,” McLaurin says. “There are toy soldiers and decorations and wreaths — all kinds of things from over the years.” He also describes the process of decorating each year. Each year the First Lady will sort through the items and try to find things that will tie into the theme for that season. A team of volunteers will then bring the project to life. “I don’t know how it started, but in recent presidencies about 100 volunteers convene early on the Friday after Thanksgiving to execute the plan the first lady has approved,” McLaurin says. The volunteers work all day on Friday and Saturday and into Sunday, if necessary, before the First Lady gets a view and signals her approval. One other important decoration was added in 1981 when First Lady Nancy Reagan created a decoration theme of her own, an ornament that celebrates a past president. In the shape of an anchor recognizing his naval service, this year’s ornament remembers President Jimmy Carter.
The last little-known story traces back to 1969 and Nixon family’s first Christmas at the White House. The pastry chef at the time, Hanz Raffert, constructed an A-frame sugar house before one of his successors, Roland Mesnier decided that a gingerbread house design would better address the need for something artistic and nostalgic. The White House occupants have enjoyed adding their personal touch including things like pets, (Clinton’s cat Socks could be seen in the design one year). As McLaurin summed up, “This year, they’ve added historic elements from around the country. Each first lady or each pastry chef tries to come up with a whimsical, fun element.”
As the celebrations for Christmas 2024 rise to their crescendo, take a little time to note the care and attention given to those being used at the White House and remember that a rich history documents Christmas at what many still call the People’s House.
Dave Redekop is a retired elementary resource teacher who worked part-time at the St. Catharines Courthouse as a Registrar until being appointed Executive Director at Redeemer Bible Church in October 2023. He has worked on political campaigns since high school and attended university in South Carolina for five years, earning a Master’s in American History with a specialization in Civil Rights. Dave loves reading biographies.
