2011 National Christmas Tree
The National Christmas Tree in 2010 on the Ellipse, just south of the White House. This year, a new tree will be decorated replacing the Colorado blue spruce pictured above that was planted on the Ellipse in 1978 and knocked down in a wind storm in February 2011.
Donna Spiewack
National Christmas Tree Nightly Performances Musical entertainment, featuring musical performances by volunteer choirs, bands, and dancers, will be held nightly on the Ellipse stage between December 6 and December 23. In general, groups will perform from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. Tuesday through Friday, from 1 p.m. to 8 p.m. Saturdays, and from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. on Sundays. It's free, no tickets required! For more information, including a detailed schedule and list of performers, click here. 
National Christmas Tree Program Activities and the Pathway of Peace In what becomes the Christmas Pathway of Peace, the National Christmas Tree and 56 smaller trees--one for each state, five territories and the District of Columbia--serve as the event focal point. All 57 trees will be lit each evening at dusk until 11 p.m. from December 1st through January 1st. Sponsoring organizations in each state provide the tree decorations and each decoration is encased in a protective plastic globe to shield it from the weather. Seasonal displays include a Yule log and a large-scale model train. For the 17th consecutive year, a local volunteer group, the National Christmas Tree Railroad, will provide model trains that surround the base of the National Christmas Tree. The trains will run from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. daily through January 1st. Santa's Workshop will return for the fourth year. Santa's Workshop will be open from Saturday, December 3-Saturday, December 24 during the following times:
For more information, please click here. 
Lighting of the National Christmas Tree Ceremony The tree lighting ceremony begins each year's National Christmas Tree Program. Nationally known entertainers and a military band add to the celebratory evening in which the President brings a message of peace to the nation and the world. The culmination of the evening is the illumination of the National Christmas Tree which occurred on Thursday, December 1, 2011 at 5:00 p.m. Hosted by Carson Daly, the lighting ceremony featured performances by OneRepublic, Rodney Atkins, Marsha Ambrosius, Kermit the Frog, Big Time Rush, Ellie Goulding, and others. Approximately 17,000 tickets to the event were distributed by lottery that ran from November 3 to November 7. Gates for the lighting ceremony opened at 3:00 p.m. Ticket holders were told to be at their seats or in the standing area by 4:15 p.m. PBS television stations across the United States broadcasted the ceremony for those unable to see it in person on the Ellipse. For more information on the National Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony, click here.
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History of the Ceremony
Did You Know?
On March 3, 1931, the Star-Spangled Banner, by Francis Scott Key, is approved by President Herbert Hoover and Congress as the national anthem. The lyrics of the anthem were inspired during the bombing of Fort HcHenry by British ships at the head of Baltimore harbor in September of 1814.