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Ronald Reagan and the Story of the National Christmas Tree
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When our American hostages in Iran were released during President Reagan’s inaugural address in
“May all the youthful hope and joy of America light up the heavens and make the angels sing.”
~Ronald Reagan, 1985
January 1981, the newly elected President made a declaration moments after his speech. He searched for a
symbolic gesture to celebrate the long-awaited, historic moment.
!“One of the last official acts that President Carter did, and which I am privileged to implement,” he
announced, “is to restring the tree [National Community Christmas Tree]. And even though the holiday is over,
the Christmas lights are going to be turned on.” And so the tree, which had been dark in 1979 and 1980, once
again dazzled in the Ellipse.
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The National Christmas Tree
January 21, 1981
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And what was the history of this tree’s tradition? A source of inspiration, the Lighting of the National
Christmas tree continued through peace and war, from national celebration to national mourning.
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“Now, I know you’re all waiting, and in the immortal words of the astronaut Alan Shepard,
‘I’m going to stop talking and light the candle.’”
~Ronald Reagan, December 13, 1984
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It all began with Silent Calvin Coolidge in 1923, who wasn’t so silent about his passion for American
business and ingenuity. An opportunity to celebrate America and a new tradition was placed before him. Turns
out, the Society for Electrical Development was looking for a way to encourage people to purchase more electric
Christmas lights and use electricity, relatively new inventions at the time.
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The Lighting of the National Christmas Tree
Christmas Eve 1923
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It seemed the perfect act for President Coolidge, accompanied by his wife, Grace, who organized
surrounding events for the moment. A 48-foot tall balsam fir was donated as the first National Christmas Tree,
shipped via express to Washington, and erected in the center of the Ellipse. To decorate it, more than 2500 electric
bulbs in red, white and green were donated while the U.S. electrical industry donated $5,000 worth of electrical
cables which were buried under the Ellipse. The ceremony was even broadcast on the radio by NBC when
President Coolidge touched a button at the foot of the tree which lit the ornaments. Earning his reputation, Silent
Cal…did not speak.
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Ah, but by 1924, objections were voiced against the idea of cutting down trees for use as Christmas
decorations. A live tree was substituted and planted on the west side of Sherman Plaza, decorated with 1,000
lights, and named, fittingly, “The National Community Christmas Tree.”
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The 30-year old, 35 foot Norway spruce endured four more years of ceremonies and celebrations with
great dignity, yet became damaged by the decoration process, along with the heat and weight of the lights. So in
1929, the tree was removed and another living tree was planted on May 29, 1929. One special touch this year: the
new tree was adorned with not only lights but…decorations.
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Sad as it was, the living tree did not remain so and by 1931 was replaced a second time. President Hoover
received the honors to illuminate the new blue spruce, and got the show on the row by hitting a buzzer, which
alerted another official to actually light the tree. The button the president pushed would not be reconnected to
actual electricity again until 1980.
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Not all presidents were able to participate. The first was President Hoover in 1932, when he was nursing
his wounds form a political defeat, he elected to vacation with his family and called in a substitute, Vice President
Charles Custis.
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“For in this Christmas season…the greatest gift we can give to each other
is the gift of ourselves.”
~Ronald Reagan 1986
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Both the location of the trees and the trees themselves are ever changing stories. By 1934, the “live tree”
was once again damaged and fading quickly…so two fraser firs were planted on the east and west of the Andrew
Jackson statue in Lafayette Square. At the lighting ceremony in ’34, President Roosevelt who became known for
his addresses associated with this tradition, asked the American people to be as courageous in the face of the
depression as Andrew Jackson had been throughout his lifetime.
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Five years later, the party returned to the Ellipse, as the National Community Christmas Tree returned to a
more spacious area, adorned by a 36-foot red cedar. It was planted a few days before Christmas, then removed
after January 1st and returned to its original location. This idea of a “briefly transplanted tree” continued for
several years. But the Ellipse location was abandoned when Mrs. Roosevelt opted for the location of the White
House South Lawn as a more “homey” setting.
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Homey, indeed. By 1941, the simple little ceremony which had been moved up to December 22nd
included Prime Minister Winston Churchill, Crown Prince Olav and Crown Princess Martha of Norway and their
three children.
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For the first time in history, the National Community Christmas Tree was not lit in 1942 due to the need
to conserve power and observe security restrictions on outdoor lighting. For security reasons, it was not lit again
until after the war concluded in 1945. Nonetheless, President Roosevelt continued to give a national radio address
on what would have been the date of the tree lighting ceremony during these three years.
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To honor the first lighting of the tree since 1941, President Truman delivered a Christmas message in
1945. Standing on the bandstand on the South Lawn, he said, “This is the Christmas that a war-weary world has
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prayed for through long and awful years. With peace come joy and gladness. The gloom of the war years fades as
once more we light the National Christmas Tree.”
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And by 1946, the ceremony was….televised. By 1953, the New York Times reported that millions of
Americans were watching the ceremony on television, then accentuated by a Pageant of Peace in 1954 when
President Eisenhower turned the switch. This expanded the celebration to three weeks and was composed of
smaller trees representing all the states, territories and the District of Columbia.
!During President Kennedy’s tenure, he was not present for the first lighting in 1961 because his father,
Joseph Kennedy, Sr., had suffered a major stroke, so Vice President Johnson lit the tree. A year later in 1962,
President Kennedy lit a tree with “changing lights” – a theme not used again. The number of Christmas trees on
the Pathway of Peace now numbered 52, including all 50 states, Guam and Puerto Rico.
!But in 1963, America mourned the assassination of President Kennedy. To honor the 30-day mourning
period following November 22 , the National Tree was lit by President Johnson on December 22 in the Ellipse.
!Oh, the 1970 National Christmas Tree suffered several near-disasters. A 78-foot blue spruce form South
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Dakota’s Black Hills was carried to Washington, D.C. on a train which derailed twice on its way to the city. Just
before the ceremony, the tree blew over in high winds. When re-set, the light bulbs on the lower half of the tree
began exploding after a fireproofing liquid applied to the sockets began causing shorts in the strings of lights.
!A return to living trees began in 1973 which suffered equally disturbing calamities. Between flying off the
flatbed truck during the delivery process and a poor planting system, the tree barely survived the winter, although
it was spared heat damage as the nation supported energy conservation, restricting the lighting period from 5pm to
10pm.
!In 1977, the decision was made to abandon the living tree as once again, the “living trees” could not
survive the conditions, storms, décor, and “shock.” And as mentioned earlier in this article, the lights of National
Christmas Tree were dimmed in 1979 and 1980 due to the hostages held in Iran.
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“Thus we must reflect: we must ever reflect upon the love we have for others
And the joy we take in giving of ourselves to those who are less fortunate.”
~Ronald Reagan 1988
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By 1981, the tradition changed slightly due to security concerns. President Reagan had survived an
assassination attempt, so the decision was made to light the tree via remote control from the East Room of the
White House. By 1989, President George H.W. Bush resumed the tradition of lighting the National Christmas
Tree from a platform on the Ellipse.
!A letter sent to the White House by a 7-year old girl to President Reagan changed the ceremony in 1983.
Her name was Amy Benham who had been diagnosed with Hodgkin’s Disease in March 1983 and she had a
simple request. With the help of the Make-A-Wish Foundation, she wanted to know if she could help the
President light the National Christmas Tree.
!“The Christmas tree that lights up for our country must be seen all the way to heaven,” she wrote. “I
would wish so much to help the President turn on those Christmas lights.”
!“Well Amy,” said the 40 President, “the nicest Christmas present I could receive is helping you make
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your dream come true. When you press this button over here….the whole world will know that Amy Benham lit
up the skies, sending America’s love, hope and joy all the way to heaven and making the angels sing.”
!At that point, the President lifted the little girl to press the button which ignited 500 lights on the 30-foot
Colorado blue spruce.
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President Reagan and Amy Benham
December 15, 1983
! While LED’s now adorn the energy-efficient National Christmas Tree and styles fluctuate from year to
year, the tree continues to represent the joy Americans feel when the great burst of light takes place in December.
! In fact, CNN said our tree in 2013 was the sixth most beautiful Christmas Tree in the world. Really? The
first five?
! 1. The tree in Cathedral Square, Vilnius, Lithuania
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The Lego Christmas Tree at Legoland, Malaysia
The Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree in New York City
The tree at the Galeries Lafayette Department Store in Paris
The floating Christmas Tree erected by oil company Bradesco Seguros in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
!Well, that’s a matter of opinion. As President Reagan said, “As we
light this Christmas tree, may it light hope in the hearts of those who
are lonely and needy…let us brighten the lives of those here at home
and around the world whose Christmas may not be as glowing and as
cheerful as ours.
!“So to all of you, God bless you and keep you during this cherished
holiday season.”
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