White House Hanukkah Party the Frontier". For two centuries after the time of the story about George Washington and Hanukkah, Christmas was the only winter religious holiday officially recognized by the White House. In 1923, President Calvin Coolidge began lighting an official White House Christmas Tree, and also delivered the first formal presidential message for the holiday. In 1927, his proclamation included the statement that, "Christmas is not a time or a season, but a state of mind". Focusing on the holiday's message, he continued, would guarantee that "there will be born in us a Savior and over us will shine a star sending
Christmas at the White House Christmas at the White House Christmas at the White House: Burl Ives Sings the Favorite Carols and Hymns of America's Presidents is a 1972 album by Burl Ives. It purports to be a collection of twelve presidents' favorite Christmas songs. It has not yet been released on CD. Some of the selections were apparently based on speculation. For example, John Adams may have favored the rendition of "Joy to the World" by American composer William Billings because the Adamses attended Billings's church in Boston. Other selections were based on authoritative sources, such as presidential writings and direct communication with presidents'