The White House Christmas Tree , also known as the Blue Room Christmas Tree , is an official indoor Christmas tree at the residence of President of the United States, the White House. The first indoor Christmas tree was installed in the White House in the 19th century (there are various claims about the exact year) and since 1961 the tree has a motive themed under the wisdom of First Lady of the United States.
Video White House Christmas tree
History
First tree
There are two claims for the original "first" White Christmas tree. President Franklin Pierce is said to have had a Christmas tree in the first room at the White House during the 1850s, variously reported as 1853 or 1856. Another claimed the first tree was during the reign of President Benjamin Harrison (either in 1888, 1889, or 1891). First Lady Caroline Harrison helped decorate the tree, which is installed in the second floor of the oval living room of today's Yellow Oval Room. There was an 1880 reference to President John Tyler in the 1840s, organizing a children's party in which there was a Christmas tree with a gift.
General
Following the trees in Harrison's room is not always used in the White House. First Lady Lou Henry Hoover began the tradition of presidential wives who decorated the White House tree with the first "official" White House Christmas tree in 1929. In 1961, First Madame Jacqueline Kennedy began a tradition of choosing a theme for the White House Christmas tree by decorating. with Nutcracker motifs.
Year without trees
As stated, there are years where no White House Christmas tree in the room is installed at all. It can be verified that there was no Christmas tree in the White House in 1902, 1904, 1907, and 1922. The lack of trees in 1902 was due to the fact that President Theodore Roosevelt did not order one on December 23.
In addition, other presidents never put a tree in the White House. The first US president, George Washington, holds office in the absence of the White House, making it impossible for him to display the tree there. There is no evidence that Abraham Lincoln ever displayed a Christmas tree in the White House. In 1922, First Lady Florence Harding's disease caused a quieter Christmas celebration at the White House and no Christmas tree.
Controversy
The official White House Christmas tree has been considered controversial several times by several people. In 1899, the White House President William McKinley received a letter urging the president not to participate in "Christmas tree customs". The letter authors, the Chicago Daily Tribune, have recorded taking the "forest mode", referring to "arboreal baby murder", according to the Tribune . Those who opposed the tree in the White House that year also called the Christmas tree "not American" because it is a tradition of German history. At least one tree was shown at the White House that year, in the kitchen department, for the waiters.
The choice of Nixon tree head, the atomic symbol of peace rather than the traditional star, was criticized. 1995 Blue Room Christmas Tree looking for ornaments made by architecture students from all over the United States. The contest winner Rene Spineto caused some controversy when he designed an ornament depicting two stockings, one marked "Bill" and the other marked "Newt" (referring to President Bill Clinton and House Speaker Newt Gingrich). While the stockings marked "Bill" are filled with candy and gifts, the "Newt" mark is filled with coal. The Clinton administration hangs an ornament on an uncensored tree.
In his 1998 book Unlimited Access, former FBI agent Gary Aldrich explains what he claims he saw in the White House during the Clinton administration. The book, published by the conservative-run publisher, Regnery Publishing, stated that the 1994 White House Christmas tree was decorated with condoms and medical supplies. George Stephanopoulos called the book "a work of fiction"; it is also called "famous".
In 2008 one of the ornaments designed by Seattle artist Deborah Lawrence was denied entry into the Blue Room Christmas Tree. The rejected ornament is a 9 inch (23 cm) red and white striped ball with the words "Impeach Bush" emblazoned on it. The ornament is the only one of about 370 rejected.
Maps White House Christmas tree
Tree
Description
The White House Christmas tree was chosen from a variety of national growers. Farmers in the state of North Carolina have provided 12 trees, more than any other state. The states of Washington and Wisconsin, in 2011, share the second highest number of trees reserved for the White House with seven. The White House Christmas tree has been featured in the Blue Room many times since 1961. Sometimes it is also displayed in the Entrance Hall.
Generally, there are more than one Christmas tree in and around the White House, for example, in 1997 there were 36, â € <â € List of other known White House Christmas trees
See also
References
Further reading
External links
Source of the article : Wikipedia
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