How Jackie Kennedy Began the White House Christmas Tradition

One of the many duties assigned to the First Lady is decorating the White House for the holidays each year. It will come as little surprise to learn that Jackie Kennedy is the founder of this festive tradition. Although other administrations, like the Eisenhowers, put up Christmas décor in previous years, it was Jackie who created a theme in 1961, choosing Pyotr Tchaikovsky’s Nutcracker and putting up decorations that were elegant, but also appealed to everyone. The next year, she chose a children’s themed tree using bright packages, candy cakes, gingerbread, and other ornaments made by senior or disabled craftspeople across the U.S.

Jackie also began the practice of putting the main White House tree in the Blue Room—with the chandelier removed it can accommodate a whopping 18-foot tree. While some of her ideas have remained over the decades, other administrations have added their own twists. “In 1975, one of the volunteer decorators made a Christmas tree out of cranberries for the red room,” Stewart McLaurin, President of the White House Historical Association said. “Every year since there has been a cranberry Christmas tree in the Red Room.” McLaurin cited other traditions, such as the first gingerbread house, originally made in 1969 by a German pastry chef. During the Carter administration, chef Roland Mesnier created the inaugural gingerbread White House, which is now a staple each year. In later years, Hanukkah and Kwanzaa celebrations were added to the mix.

“All the decorations become part of the White House collection, so they can be reused in other ways,” says McLaurin. According to him, the First Lady begins early each year to identify a theme with a team of decorators. They then go out and see what decorations can be reused, which ones need to be added, and meet periodically throughout the year. Then, early in the morning on the Friday after Thanksgiving, 100 volunteers (who go through an application process) descend on the White House to decorate according to the First Lady’s plan. The efforts pay off as the White House is transformed into a magical place for people to celebrate the end of the year.

Below, a few photos of Jackie's Christmas decor and other holiday traditions.