The National Christmas Tree and the Washington Monument
The first national Christmas celebrations began in 1913 when President Woodrow Wilson and over 20,000 visitors gathered together at the Capitol with a lighted community Christmas tree that began the national event.
In 1923, Vermont’s Middlebury College had presented the first official National Christmas Tree as a gift. It was decorated with 2,500 red, white and green lights and was lit by President Calvin Coolidge on the Eve of Christmas at President’s Park situated to the south of the White House also known as the Ellipse. Through the years, the National Christmas Tree had been relocated to several areas such as in 1923 when it was relocated to Sherman Plaza and to Lafayette Park years after, and was returned to the Ellipse in 1939.
On December 17, 1954, President Dwight Eisenhower started the lighting of the National Christmas Tree for the Pageant of Peace, permitting more visitors to view the lighting and celebrating Christmas Eve at home with family.
From a single Christmas tree, the National Christmas Tree now is accompanied by 56 smaller Christmas trees representing each state, territory and the District of Columbia. The National Christmas Tree is lit with reflection of the current events such as when the lights were turned off for a moment in support of the American hostages in Lebanon and their families on Christmas Eve in 1985 as instructed by President George H. W. Bush, and the lighting in 2001, when the children of the September 11 attack victims of the Pentagon had assisted in the lighting.
An array of trees, such as the Balsam Fir, Fraser Fir, Engelmann Spruce and Red Cedar were constantly donated for the event till 1973, when the National Arborist Association then donated a 42 foot blue spruce intended as a permanent National Christmas Tree till it began to die and thus a 40 foot tall living Colorado blue spruce was donated from Maryland and served as the National Christmas Tree. Standard filament burning bulbs had long ago decorated the National Christmas, then Solar energy was then used in 1995 to light the tree, in 2007 energy efficient LED lights are now used as a reminder to everyone that energy can be saved to decrease carbon footprint.
Every year, the tree lighting ceremony begins the festivities of the National Christmas Tree program or “Pageant of Peace”, with re-known performers and a military band and a message of peace by the President dedicated to everyone worldwide. Entertainment and musical performances provided by volunteer choirs, bands and dancers are for free.
For the “Christmas Pathway of Peace”, the National Christmas Tree and its accompanying 56 smaller trees shall be lit every night at dusk till 11pm all through the 1st of January. While model trains surrounding the base of the National Christmas Tree are provided by the National Christmas Tree Railroad.
