Tree Lightings Attending Presidents Tree Donations

The Christmas Pageant of Peace and         National Christmas Tree         The origins of the national tree lighting ceremony date to Christmas Eve, 1913, when an elaborate "civic Christmas" was held on the east plaza of the U.S. Capitol. A huge crowd attended the pageantry featuring the U.S. Marine Band, 1,000 singers and a costumed group portraying the Nativity. President Woodrow Wilson wanted the community Christmas tree placed at the Capitol so the program would be recognized as a national event.         The ceremony moved to near the White House in 1923. Calvin Coolidge became the first president to light the tree by pushing the button on a switch box that still is used today. For several years following, a living tree was decorated in Sherman Plaza east of the White House. Coolidge also began the tradition of delivering the President's Christmas message. In 1925, his speech was broadcast coast to coast on radio.         In 1934, the ceremony was moved to Lafayette Park using live Fraser fir trees planted on either side of the statue of Andrew Jackson in the center of the park. A live red cedar from George Washington's original estate was planted on the Ellipse in 1939; then, two live Oriental spruce trees were planted on the White House south lawn where they were used for all the ceremonies through the war years.                  The 1941 tree lighting, following the attack on Pearl Harbor, witnessed a surprise appearance by Sir Winston Churchill at President Franklin Roosevelt's side on the south portico. Wartime blackouts kept the tree unlit from 1942 until 1944.         Following World War II and the Korean War, it was decided to use "peace" in the title and give direction of the program to the Christmas Pageant of Peace, Inc. On Dec. 17, 1954, President Dwight Eisenhower presided over an expanded program symbolizing America's desire to maintain peace around the world through the spirit and meaning of Christmas. It was the first time the program had not been held on Christmas Eve.         The practice of using fresh-cut trees from various places around the country continued until 1973 when a live tree was transplanted to the Ellipse. The tree in use today, a live Colorado blue spruce, was transplanted to the site in 1978. It came from a farm in York, Pennsylvania, the gift of Mrs. William E. Myers who had received it as a Mother's Day gift 15 years earlier.