page_title: National Christmas Tree (United States)
section_title: Great Depression and World War II
hierarchical_section_title: National Christmas Tree (United States) / Great Depression and World War II
caption_attribution_description: English: President Franklin D. Roosevelt (standing) and British Prime Minister Winston Churchill (right) speak from the south portico of the White House while lighting the National Community Christmas Tree on December 24, 1941.
context_page_description: The National Christmas Tree is a large evergreen tree located in the northeast quadrant of The Ellipse near the White House in Washington, D.C. Each year since 1923, the tree has been decorated as a Christmas tree. Every year, early in December, the tree is traditionally lit by the President of the United States. Every president since Franklin D. Roosevelt has made formal remarks during the tree lighting ceremony. Since 1954, the event has marked the start of month-long festivities known as the Pageant of Peace. Smaller trees representing the U.S. states, District of Columbia, and the five territories around the National Christmas Tree are referred to as the Pathway to Peace.
context_section_description: In 1934, the National Christmas Tree was relocated to Lafayette Park north of the White House. The 1931 Norway spruce had again become damaged, and the National Park Service purchased two "Koster" blue spruce cultivars to plant on the west side of Sherman Square with the intent of using alternating between trees each year. But when it became clear later that year that the National Christmas Tree would have to be moved from Sherman Square, the agency asked the Commission of Fine Arts (which had partial jurisdiction over planting decisions around the White House) for permission to plant the two trees to the southeast and southwest of the statue of Andrew Jackson in Lafayette Square.  The Commission of Fine Arts opposed the plan, and suggested that two fir trees be planted east and west of the statue instead. For a time, the National Park Service hoped to plant two trees (of an undetermined species) on the Ellipse near the White House, but in the end acceded to the Commission of Fine Arts' plan. Two 23-foot (7.0 m) high Fraser firs from North Carolina were planted to the 18 to 23 feet (5.5 to 7.0 m) east and west of the Jackson statue. The trees were planted just a few weeks before the tree lighting ceremony, and the western tree was chosen to begin the alternating use of the trees because it was more visible from the first family's living quarters. During the tree lighting ceremony, President Roosevelt drew attention to the statue of Andrew Jackson and asked the American people to be as courageous in the face of the depression as Jackson had been throughout his lifetime. The tree did not light when Roosevelt threw the switch. The tree remained unlit for about five seconds while Roosevelt worriedly looked about, but then the lights came on.
  In 1935, the 24-foot (7.3 m) high eastern tree was used. During the tree lighting ceremony, President Roosevelt extemporaneously poked fun at the previous year's lighting glitch before exhorting all Americans to come together in courage and unity as did the famous American war heroes who are honored with statues in the park: Comte de Rochambeau, the Marquis de Lafayette, General Tadeusz Kos'ciuszko, Major General Friedrich Wilhelm von Steuben, and Andrew Jackson.
  New star-shaped Christmas tree lights were used in 1935, but some were stolen the week after Christmas. To discourage future thefts, a temporary low octagonal fence was constructed around the 1936 tree. The method of lighting the tree also changed. The National Park Service history of the tree claims that in 1936 or 1937, the button used since 1925 was replaced by a switchbox. The Washington Post, however, indicates that the button was still used in 1936. The box was definitely in use by 1937. It was constructed and donated by the Electric Institute of Washington, and was engraved with the name of every person who had lit the tree since 1923. In 1938, the Electric Institute of Washington donated mercury-vapor floodlights to the federal government, which were used to help illuminate the tree.
  In 1939, the National Community Christmas Tree was moved back to the Ellipse. Reasons for moving the event varied.  The National Park Police said it was because the Ellipse was more spacious. A 36-foot (11 m) high red cedar was dug up from along the Mount Vernon Memorial Parkway in Virginia, and planted just a few days before Christmas at a site just south of the center of the Ellipse.  (The tree was replanted back at its old site after January 1, 1940.) The tree was the second-highest national Christmas tree in the history of the event, and it required 700 hand-colored light bulbs, 100 hand-crafted glass stars and several mercury-vapor floodlights to decorate and illuminate. More than 8,000 people attended the 1939 ceremony. The tradition of the "Singing Tree" was discontinued this year, however.
  The tradition of using a briefly-transplanted tree occurred again in 1940.  The 1940 tree was a 34-foot (10 m) high red cedar. More than 700 hand-colored lights, 700 ornaments, and six blue-green mercury-vapor lights were used to light and decorate
caption: President Franklin D. Roosevelt speaks before lighting the 1941 National Christmas Tree. British Prime Minister Winston Churchill (right) was a surprise guest.
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