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Are you going to the National Christmas Tree Lighting this year?
After the attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941, there was some doubt that the #NationalChristmasTree ceremony would take place at all.
The 1941 Christmas Tree had been planned to be the first-ever ceremony inside the White House grounds. By November, two oriental spruce trees (to be used in alternate years) had been transplanted from the White house tennis courts to either side of the South Lawn Fountain. All was in place for a “homey celebration,” as suggested by President Roosevelt at the 1940 ceremony.
But in the aftermath of December 7, 1941—despite the concerns of the Secret Service—the President sided with custom, tradition, and his promise. An estimated 20,000 people passed through the military inspection on Christmas Eve afternoon, with many checking their last-minute holiday purchases outside the East Gate.
All went well.
As seen in the photograph, President Roosevelt addressed the crowds from the White House South Portico on December 24, 1941. Churchill, who also spoke, can be seen on the right.
The historical 1941 tree, although out of the holiday spotlight, stills glows occasionally throughout the year. For nestled in its branches is a red light that, when lit, provides a directional landmark for the Presidential helicopter Marine One.
Image of FDR from the Franklin D. Roosevelt Presidential Library and Museum; Photograph of a large crowd assembled on the South Lawn of the White House for the lighting of the National Community Christmas Tree., 12/24/1945; Address of the Prime Minister upon the occasion of the lighting of the National Community Christmas Tree at the White House, 12/24/1941.
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