The Celina Democrat. (Celina, O. [Ohio]) 1895-1921, 1915-12-10
IN THE WHITE HOUSE
How Presidents Of Past Enjoyed
Christmas Holidays.
No Celebration by John Quincy Adams
Because He Regarded Religious
Festival as a Foolish
ExtraVagance.

"a president Of the United States
who did not celebrate Christmas
lbecause he regarded it as a foolish
extravaganza was John Quincy Ad
ans, the most economical man
known in public life"
Mrs. John Adams, the wife of the
second president of the United States
had a most discouraging time trying
to make. merry in the White House
during the Christmas holidays. (She
was the first wife of a president to
celebrate Christmas in the executive
mansion in Washington, for the presi-
dent and Mrs. Washington were al
ways at Mount Vernon for the holt
days) She had no dominating sense
of economy, but 1t was the White
House itself that was shabby, and a
Christmas reception given to the mem
bers of congress by the president
proved from her point of view, to be
CHASTITY failure. ~
President Jefferson was a widower
with four daughters, and during his
second administration Martha, the eld-
est, was the head of her fathers
household, and made Christmas the
happy and festive occasion it was de-
signed to be from that time when the
star stood still above the manger in
Bethlehem.
There we're trees, and decorations,
and all sorts of entertainments for the
children of the official families, as well
as gifts for the poor Of the capital.
Although the Madisons did not
spend all of their Christmases in the
White House, ON account of the little
historical interruption by the British,
when they occupied other quarters for
time, the brilliant Dolly managed a
record for holiday hospitality and
merrymaking that has never been sur
passed.
When Andrew Jackson came to the
White House he was bowed and bro
ken by the death Of his wife and de-
pressed by political animosities. He
had neither heart nor the slightest in
clination for holiday celebrations, yet
he pulled himself together at Christ
mas time, and saw to it that the day
meant something happy to those in
the White House
In the meantime the Monroe admin
was marked by nothing in
the way of holiday celebrations be-
yond what was conventionally pre-
scribed, and after President Jackson's
efforts at keeping the spirit of Christ
mas in spite Of his own personal sor-
lows, President Harrison did not live
TO see a Christmas in the White
House.
Mrs. Tyler lived to celebrate only
)ne Christmas in the White House.
After his second marriage the Tyler
was noted for it's bril-
liant entertainments. Whether it was
Christmas or any other time of the
,ear, hospitalities were dispensed in
he old Virginia style, and there was
10 stint OF merrymaking at the White
louse.
The Polk administration reverted to
he grim and practical idea of John
luincy Adams Perhaps 1t was not
economy that changed the Christmas
Celebration at the White House; it is
ifiicult to define the reason why Pres
dent Polk did not make the holidays
festive event in the executive man
ion; it may have been the tempera-
lent Of the chief executive; perhaps
was because Mrs Polk did not be-
eve in the gay and festive way of
the holidays, as, according :
) intimate history, she did not.
President Zachary Taylor, brilliant