WASHINGTON (WCSC) — President Calvin Coolidge lit the first national Christmas tree on White House grounds back on Christmas Eve of 1923, establishing a tradition that continues to this day. In the ...

When this year’s Christmas tree arrived at the White House just before Thanksgiving by horse-drawn wagon, the conveyance brought more than an evergreen: It also carried more than a century of history.

As I sit here looking at our 2025 Christmas tree, I thought it might be interesting to dig into the history of the tradition. Why exactly do we use a tree to celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ, our ...