Presidents have historically developed their own Christmas traditions as they leave their unique mark on the White House during their tenure.
In recent years, Christmas has been spent by the Commander-in-Chief in a variety of locations, from Hawaii to Texas to Mar-a-Lago.
President Joe Biden opted to move his family’s Christmas celebration in 2021 to the White House instead of the usual location in his home state of Delaware.
extended biden family reportedly participated Mass on Christmas Eve and then returned to the White House where they enjoyed a pasta dinner and relaxed, which is tradition in the family.
Before him, former President Donald Trump – who will soon take office again – celebrated Christmas at his Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida, per report,
During his vacation in Florida, Trump and First Lady Melania Trump attended Christmas services at a local Episcopal church in Palm Beach, where the two married in 2005.
Former President Barack Obama established a tradition of spending the Christmas holidays with his family in Hawaii during his tenure as president.
As informedThe President’s Christmas in the state was relatively quiet, spent with friends and family.
However, he established a tradition of visiting the soldiers at the local Marine base on Christmas Day to thank them for their service.
Before Obama, President George Bush had decided to spend his Christmas at the Camp David presidential retreat near the nation’s capital.
It was first established by his father, former President George HW Bush. In 2008, the Bush family reportedly observed What was his 12th Christmas at Camp David.
In addition, US presidents have organized a variety of events To mark the Christmas season at the White House, some are more elaborate than others.
In 1835, President Andrew Jackson famously hosted an indoor “snowball” fight for children at his “joyous” party.
The party included games, dancing, and a celebratory dinner and ended with a snowball fight, during which participants used specially made cotton balls.
President Franklin Roosevelt had his own tradition of reading Charles Dickens’s “A Christmas Carol” aloud after the Christmas Eve meal.
According to the White House Historical Association, there is a popular myth that states that President Theodore Roosevelt banned trees from being cut down and placed as decorations in the White House.
This was partly motivated by the fact that the Roosevelts did not mark the holiday with a tree.
WHHA said that having a Christmas tree in every home is a relatively modern tradition.
Per OrganizationRoosevelt’s son Archie began his tradition by sneaking a small tree into the White House and placing it in a closet.
They decorated it before showing the tree to their family and starting a new holiday tradition.
