AT THE WHITE HOUSE LAST WEEK, THIS TIME-HONORED TRADITION WAS ON FULL DISPLAY, AS PRESIDENT OBAMA HELD THE NATIONAL TREE LIGHTING CEREMONY FOR THE LAST TIME.
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IN ADDITION TO FLIPPING THE SWITCH ON THE TREE OF LIGHTS, PRESIDENT OBAMA OFFERED SOME REMARKS IN LIGHT OF THE HOLIDAY SEASON.
THE NATIONAL TREE LIGHTING IS A HOLIDAY TRADITION IN WASHINGTON THAT DATES BACK TO 1923, WHEN CALVIN COOLIDGE HIT A BUTTON TO LIGHT UP THE FIRST NATIONAL CHRISTMAS TREE: A 48-FOOT BALSAM FIR FROM HIS HOME STATE OF VERMONT. SINCE THEN, EVERY PRESIDENT HAS REPEATED THE TRADITION.
I WONDER WHAT COOLIDGE WOULD HAVE THOUGHT OF OBAMA’S RENDITION OF JINGLE BELLS...
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Instructional Links
Website Article: 2016 U.S. Capitol Christmas Tree, How It Began http://www.capitolchristmastree.com/history.html
Website Article: National Park Service, President's Park, National Christmas Tree https://www.nps.gov/whho/planyourvisit/national-christmas-tree.htm
Game: Sheppard Software, Brain Games, Light Up the Christmas Tree http://www.sheppardsoftware.com/braingames/tree/tree.htm
Website Article: Why Christmas, The History of the Christmas Tree http://www.whychristmas.com/customs/trees.shtml