A Calvin Coolidge Christmas
When one thinks of who the most Christmassy President was, the 30th President of the United States, Calvin Coolidge, isn't the first to come to mind. But in fact Coolidge was one of the first to truly embrace a real White House Christmas celebration and to encourage the American people to join in the celebration. For example, during his first Christmas in the White house in 1923, he started the tradition of the National Community Christmas Tree. It was a 48-foot Balsam Fir from his native state of Vermont. It was put up on The Ellipse. An electric button enabled Coolidge to light the tree for the first ever National Community Christmas Tree lighting ceremony.
During the summer of 1924, Coolidge’s youngest son, Calvin, Jr., died of staphylococcus septicemia (blood poisoning). The American public responded by sending the Coolidges a record setting 12,000 Christmas cards. The Coolidges were known to send out Christmas cards. Still mourning the loss of his son, Coolidge was reluctant to partake in another National Community Christmas Tree lighting ceremony. The American Forestry Association persuaded Coolidge to accept a donation of a living 35-foot Norway spruce, which was planted near the east entrance of the White House. With the flick of a switch on Christmas Eve of 1924, the National Community Christmas Tree lighting ceremony officially became an annual celebration, but the live tree would only last for five years due to wear and tear from decorating.
In 1925, it was hoped that President Coolidge would speak on the radio networks, wishing the American children a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year, but this did not happen. However, after the National Community Christmas Tree lighting ceremony, 2,000 people were welcomed to the White House ground for caroling led by the choir from the President’s church. Then on New Year’s Day, 3,000 to 4,000 people were invited to line up and shake the hands of the President and First Lady.
In 1926, after receiving so many heartfelt gifts and Christmas cards from the American people, Coolidge was so grateful that he gave a gift of a gold coin to all of the White House officials and staff members.
1927 was a momentous year for Christmas in the White House. After receiving countless requests to address the American people with a Christmas message, Coolidge finally agreed. On Christmas morning, a short hand-written message from the President appeared in every major newspaper, making this the first Christmas greeting to be given to the American public from a president. It read as follows:
To the American People: -
Christmas is not a time or a season but a state of mind. To cherish peace and good will, to be plenteous in mercy, is to have the real spirit of Christmas. If we think of these things, there will be born in us a Savior and over us will shine a star sending its gleam of hope to the world.
-Calvin Coolidge
In 1928, Coolidge decided not to run for re-election, making this his last Christmas in the White House. At the National Community Christmas Tree lighting ceremony, Coolidge spoke to the large crowd of spectators and to the American people listening on their radios, “In token of the good-will and happiness of the holiday season and as an expression of the best wishes of the United States toward a Community Christmas Tree, in behalf of the city of Washington, I now turn on the current which will illuminate this tree.”
It's hard to imagine a taciturn guy like Coolidge as being full of the Christmas spirit, but it was Calvin Coolidge as President who began a lot of established Christmas traditions that continue to this day.
During the summer of 1924, Coolidge’s youngest son, Calvin, Jr., died of staphylococcus septicemia (blood poisoning). The American public responded by sending the Coolidges a record setting 12,000 Christmas cards. The Coolidges were known to send out Christmas cards. Still mourning the loss of his son, Coolidge was reluctant to partake in another National Community Christmas Tree lighting ceremony. The American Forestry Association persuaded Coolidge to accept a donation of a living 35-foot Norway spruce, which was planted near the east entrance of the White House. With the flick of a switch on Christmas Eve of 1924, the National Community Christmas Tree lighting ceremony officially became an annual celebration, but the live tree would only last for five years due to wear and tear from decorating.
In 1925, it was hoped that President Coolidge would speak on the radio networks, wishing the American children a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year, but this did not happen. However, after the National Community Christmas Tree lighting ceremony, 2,000 people were welcomed to the White House ground for caroling led by the choir from the President’s church. Then on New Year’s Day, 3,000 to 4,000 people were invited to line up and shake the hands of the President and First Lady.
In 1926, after receiving so many heartfelt gifts and Christmas cards from the American people, Coolidge was so grateful that he gave a gift of a gold coin to all of the White House officials and staff members.
1927 was a momentous year for Christmas in the White House. After receiving countless requests to address the American people with a Christmas message, Coolidge finally agreed. On Christmas morning, a short hand-written message from the President appeared in every major newspaper, making this the first Christmas greeting to be given to the American public from a president. It read as follows:
To the American People: -
Christmas is not a time or a season but a state of mind. To cherish peace and good will, to be plenteous in mercy, is to have the real spirit of Christmas. If we think of these things, there will be born in us a Savior and over us will shine a star sending its gleam of hope to the world.
-Calvin Coolidge
In 1928, Coolidge decided not to run for re-election, making this his last Christmas in the White House. At the National Community Christmas Tree lighting ceremony, Coolidge spoke to the large crowd of spectators and to the American people listening on their radios, “In token of the good-will and happiness of the holiday season and as an expression of the best wishes of the United States toward a Community Christmas Tree, in behalf of the city of Washington, I now turn on the current which will illuminate this tree.”
It's hard to imagine a taciturn guy like Coolidge as being full of the Christmas spirit, but it was Calvin Coolidge as President who began a lot of established Christmas traditions that continue to this day.