Posted on 12/07/2002 6:37:48 AM PST by BigWaveBetty
Written on White House stationary in his own hand in 1927, President Calvin Coolidge issued the first official Christmas message to the American people. As a response to numerous requests for the President to send a holiday greeting, President Coolidge asked newspapers across the United States to publish his holiday greeting to the American people. Although he didn't speak, he participated in the first ceremonial tree lighting for the event now known as the Pageant of Peace.
President Eisenhower expanded the list of Presidential Christmas cards recipients significantly in 1953; the President sent season’s greetings to American ambassadors abroad, members of the Cabinet and Congress, foreign heads of state and government officials. Thereafter, the official Presidential Holiday Greeting was the White House Christmas card.
Artist Adrian Martinez of Downingtown, Pennsylvania, designed the 2001 holiday card which features the Second Floor Corridor of the White House with Mary Cassatt's 1908 painting, Young Mother and Two Children. Mrs. Bush selected the Psalm for the card on September 16. At Camp David, the chaplain based his sermon on the Psalm, which was outlined in the lectionary for that September Sunday.
2001 White House Tree
The President and Mrs. Bush stand next to the 2001 tree, an 18-foot Concolor fir that was grown in the mountains of Central Pennsylvania. For ornaments, artists from all 50 states and the District of Columbia designed miniature replicas of historic houses from their regions.
See the past cards from The White House from Hoover to to Bush 41.
Can I have a rain check? Some friends came by and I couldn't get back to the computer.
I know about the long name thing but mostly people just mangle mine instead of shortening it. :-)
Run mountaineer Run! Congresswoman mountaineer sounds good. Or should it be congressman/person? I always get confused about this stuff.
Does it mention Christmas? I didn't see that.
Not everyone that recieves a card from the President and First Lady celebrates Christmas. That would be why it doesn't specifically mention Christmas.
Some years I send out Happy Holiday cards and some years I buy both Christmas and Hannakkah cards, then send them appropriately.
Sorry! It grew after I posted it!! Hate when that happens. :-)
Here's one of my favorites, the card is so-so but Ronald and Nancy in front of the tree is wonderful.
The 1986 official White House Christmas card was the first card in a series of paintings by Thomas William Jones. Mrs. Reagan showcased three White House rooms that had not previously been the subject of a Presidential Christmas card. The East Room was highlighted for the 1986 card. The State Dining Room and the North Entry Hall were showcased the next two years.
1986 White House Tree 
The 1986 Reagan tree featured decorations based on the theme, Mother Goose Christmas. The trimmings included wooden gingerbread cookie ornaments, state balls, Christmas card ornaments, soft sculpture miniature geese and a soft sculpture angel on top. At the base of the tree were 15 soft sculpture scenes of characters from Mother Goose rhymes.
I anxiously await for this years theme of White House Pets and pictures of this years tree!
Mine's already shortened, so they misspell it. I'm a Bette... But when my formal name is used in conjunction with a husband who uses a first initial and middle name, it really takes up a lot of space on the envelope. That's when it gets abbreviated -- and NOT the way I do it.
My namesake granddaughter (not yet 2) just learned to say her name. She calls herself "Biz-beth!"
Our tree came on Thursday and the oh so anxious to get it decorated hubby still hasn't put the lights on it yet. It is beautiful btw!
Now for some exciting news! My daughter aka fstcwgrl and family are moving to Louisiana! I'm happy for them, but sad for me. Bad part is her hubby has to start his new job there on the 16th of December! They'll be gone by the end of the week!
Negotiations had been going back and forth for a while so we didn't know for sure if they were going till a couple of days ago. And I've been busy helping with some things and will be over there today to help organize things for the movers.
This next week will be a loo-loo, so I won't be around much.
Update on my niece. She's doing well considering. They discovered it was a staph infection, perhaps brought on by a visit to the dentist. We don't know when she'll get out of the hospital but when she does she'll be on I.V. antibiotics for two months. Her white blood cell count is slowly coming down but not faster enough to make the doctors happy.
I wanted to tell you all about the doctor who operated on her. He wasn't on her insurance plan, but was the only one around that could do the operation (it being Thanksgiving weekend) so he did the procedure free of charge for her. He is an Angel! If he had not operated, she would have died. God bless all those doctors who put people ahead of insurance companies, lawsuits and the like. A special prayer for all those care takers!
Take care IG and everyone, see you as soon as possible.
Have any of you visited the Life in The White House site?? I just found it. Go to LINK and you'll find tours of the Oval Office by GWB, the VP mansion by Lynn Cheney (I had never seen the interior of that lovely house), the Diplomatic Room by Laura, and other tours with Cheney, Card, Rove, etc. No Christmas pictures yet, darnit.
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