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Presidents have historically left their own mark on the White House and developed their own Christmas traditions during their terms. In recent years, commanders-in-chief have spent Christmas in locations ranging from Hawaii to Texas to Mar-a-Lago.
President Joe Biden has chosen to move his family’s Christmas celebration to the White House in 2021 rather than its usual location in his home state of Delaware. The extended Biden family reportedly attended Christmas Eve Mass, then returned to the White House for a pasta dinner and a slumber party, which has become a family tradition.
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Presidents have established many unique traditions during their time in office. (Reuters)
Soon-to-be-reelected former President Donald Trump reportedly spent Christmas at his Mar-a-Lago mansion in Florida. While vacationing in Florida, President Trump and first lady Melania Trump attended a Christmas service at the local Episcopal church in Palm Beach, where they were married in 2005.
Former President Barack Obama established a presidential tradition of spending the Christmas holidays with his family in Hawaii. As reported, the president’s Christmas in the state was relatively quiet, spent with friends and family. However, they established a tradition of visiting local Marine Corps bases on Christmas Day to thank the soldiers for their service.
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The Bidens previously spent Christmas with family in Delaware. (Reuters)
Before Obama took office, President George Bush chose to spend Christmas at the Camp David presidential retreat near the nation’s capital. It was first established by his father, former President George H.W. Bush. In 2008, the Bush family reportedly celebrated their 12th Christmas at Camp David.
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The Trumps spend most Christmases at their Mar-a-Lago mansion. (Reuters)
Going back further, U.S. presidents have held a variety of events at the White House to mark the Christmas season, some more elaborate than others. In 1835, President Andrew Jackson famously hosted an indoor “snowball fight” for children at a “frolicking” party. The party included games, dancing, a celebratory dinner, and ended with a snowball fight where attendees had a special cotton ball fight.
President Franklin Roosevelt had his own tradition of reading Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol after the Christmas Eve meal.
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The Obamas traditionally travel to Hawaii for the holidays. (Reuters)
According to the White House Historical Society, there is a popular belief that President Theodore Roosevelt prohibited cutting down trees and placing them as decorations in the White House. This was caused by the fact that the Roosevelt family did not mark holidays with trees.
WHHA noted that having a Christmas tree in each home is a relatively modern tradition.
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According to the association, Roosevelt’s son Archie started his own tradition of sneaking a small tree into the White House and placing it in the closet. He unveiled the tree to his family and decorated it before starting a new holiday tradition.
