The 2013 White House Christmas Card
I didn't get one, but they tell me that the 2013 White House holiday card from President Obama and his family has arrived. (People are even selling them on ebay already). This year's version features another appearance by the first dog Bo, along with new presidential puppy Sunny. This year's features a pop-up White House, with Bo and Sunny walking along the front of their home. The inside of the card reads: "As we gather around this season, may the warmth and joy of the holidays fill your home," and it's signed by President Obama, First Lady Michelle Obama, daughters Sasha and Malia, along with paw marks for Sunny and Bo.
The holiday card is a tradition that stretches to the early 20th century, began by an unlikely president to be the source of all this seasonal mirth, one Calvin Coolidge. Despite his reserved demeanor, Coolidge was the first president to issue a warm Christmas greeting to the nation, issuing a letter for major newspapers across the country to publish in 1927. As one would expect, Coolidge’s message was terse, but seasonal. He wrote:
“Christmas is not a time or a season but a state of mind. To cherish peace and good will, to be plenteous in mercy, is to have the real spirit of Christmas. If we think of these things, there will be born in us a Savior and over us will shine a star sending its gleam of hope to the world.”
For years afterward, presidential Christmas greetings were distributed among family, friends and White House staff. Former first lady Lou Hoover accompanied cards with personal photos and poetry. The cards eventually became one of the many yearly holiday events the White House takes part in, from the elaborate White House Christmas decorations to eventful holiday tours. But it wasn’t until President Dwight Eisenhower sent his 1953 holiday card to members of Congress, heads of state, ambassadors and beyond that the White House holiday greeting reached a wider audience. By 1967, the White House holiday card was sent out to 2,600 recipients.
That number has since skyrocketed, with President George W. Bush's Christmas Card list surpassing a million people.
The holiday card is a tradition that stretches to the early 20th century, began by an unlikely president to be the source of all this seasonal mirth, one Calvin Coolidge. Despite his reserved demeanor, Coolidge was the first president to issue a warm Christmas greeting to the nation, issuing a letter for major newspapers across the country to publish in 1927. As one would expect, Coolidge’s message was terse, but seasonal. He wrote:
“Christmas is not a time or a season but a state of mind. To cherish peace and good will, to be plenteous in mercy, is to have the real spirit of Christmas. If we think of these things, there will be born in us a Savior and over us will shine a star sending its gleam of hope to the world.”
For years afterward, presidential Christmas greetings were distributed among family, friends and White House staff. Former first lady Lou Hoover accompanied cards with personal photos and poetry. The cards eventually became one of the many yearly holiday events the White House takes part in, from the elaborate White House Christmas decorations to eventful holiday tours. But it wasn’t until President Dwight Eisenhower sent his 1953 holiday card to members of Congress, heads of state, ambassadors and beyond that the White House holiday greeting reached a wider audience. By 1967, the White House holiday card was sent out to 2,600 recipients.
That number has since skyrocketed, with President George W. Bush's Christmas Card list surpassing a million people.