National Christmas Tree

National Christmas Tree lighting ceremony, 2025.

NPS / Nathan King

About the National Christmas Tree

The beloved tradition of the National Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony began Christmas Eve in 1923 when President Calvin Coolidge lit a 48-foot Balsam Fir from Vermont decorated with 2,500 red, white, and green electric bulbs. Learn more about the history of the National Christmas Tree.

2026 National Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony

The 2026 National Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony will take place Thursday, December 3, 2026, on the Ellipse in Washington, D.C.

The ticket lottery for the ceremony will open at 10:00 AM ET on Wednesday, October 28, 2026, and close at 3:00 PM ET on Wednesday, November 4, 2026. Enter online at National Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony on Recreation.gov. There is no charge to enter the lottery or receive tickets.

Lottery winners will be notified on Thursday, November 12. Each winner may receive up to five tickets. Entering the lottery does not guarantee tickets. Tickets are free and may not be sold or transferred for commercial gain.

 

Student ornament display at the National Christmas Tree site, 2025.

NPS / Kelsey Graczyk

Visiting the National Christmas Tree and the Student Ornament Display

More information about visiting the 2026 National Christmas Tree site will be forthcoming.

The National Christmas Tree site is located south of the White House on the Ellipse. Surrounding the 2025 National Christmas tree was the America Celebrates display, a collection of 59 trees featuring student-designed ornaments representing the United States' 56 states and territories, schools managed by the Department of the Interior’s Bureau of Indian Education and the Department of Defense Education Activity, as well as winners of the America250 America’s Field Trip contest.

There is no fee to visit the National Christmas Tree site each year.