FDR at Christmas
President Franklin Delano Roosevelt and his wife Eleanor celebrated ten Christmases in the White House between 1933 through 1944. I can't imagine that they were all festive, given the depression, Pearl Harbor and the war. Yet Christmas seemed an especially important holiday for Mrs. Roosevelt who wrong a book entitled Eleanor Roosevelt's Christmas Book.
In the book, Mrs. Roosevelt wrote that each year, for about one hour on Christmas Eve morning she went to a local theater or the offices of an organization such as the Volunteers of American to attend a Christmas program of addresses and to listen to Christmas songs. She was frequently asked to speak. Then she helped to distribute gifts or baskets to the needy.
Mrs. Roosevelt was back at the White House by early afternoon when she and the president gave gifts to their office staff, the Secret Service and the White House police officers. She would hold a Christmas luncheon, which she described as "the office party" for those who worked in and maintained the rooms of the White House as well as their children. Mrs. Roosevelt wrote in her December 23, 1944" My Day" syndicated (United Feature Syndicate) newspaper column that she and President Roosevelt shook hands with 440 people that day.
President and Mrs. Roosevelt and whatever family and friends were at the White House were later driven to the lighting of the national Christmas tree, then called the community Christmas tree. After President Roosevelt pulled the switch to light the tree, he made a radio address to the nation. Mrs. Roosevelt wrote that the tree–lighting ceremony was always "impressive, with lovely music."
The only Christmases the Roosevelts did not spend in Washington were in 1943 and 1944. These were spent in Hyde Park, New York. Mrs. Roosevelt missed Christmas at the White House in 1936 to be in Boston with the ailing Franklin Delano Roosevelt Jr. and in 1937 to be in Seattle with their daughter Anna, who was also unwell at the time.
Starting in 1936, Mrs. Roosevelt got in the habit every Christmas Eve or Christmas of visiting the slums, or as she called them, the alleys, in Washington. An organization such as the Alley Dwelling Authority or the Council of Federated Churchwomen provided some lighted trees for those who lived in these slums. (I can't help think that they would have probably appreciated food instead.) There was a ceremony around these trees, including the singing of Christmas carols. Eleanor Roosevelt spoke and helped to distribute gifts. Of her visits to the alleys of Washington, Eleanor Roosevelt wrote that she always "went back to the White House with an added awareness of the inequality of our earthly blessings."
After the United States entered World War II, Mrs. Roosevelt also spent some time during the Christmas holiday visiting wounded soldiers at Walter Reed Army Hospital.
When Eleanor was back at the White House, if it was Christmas Eve she began celebrating Christmas with her family. By 1944 the Roosevelt's five children had given them more than a dozen grandchildren. The younger grandchildren ate dinner while the older ones decorated the family tree. Then President Roosevelt began reading aloud an abbreviated version of A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens.
Mrs. Roosevelt wrote that she would fill the Christmas stockings that would be hung in Franklin Roosevelt's room. (His legs had been paralyzed since he was stricken with polio in 1921.) She also filled stockings for the adults. Her adult children were said to be amused at her practicality in putting into their stockings items like nail files, soap and toothbrushes.
On Christmas day every one went into the president's room to open their stockings. Then the family had breakfast elsewhere in the White House while the president stayed and ate his breakfast in his room and got back to his work. The family went to church, had lunch and then lit their Christmas tree.
Around this Christmas tree, late in the afternoon, the Roosevelt family, along with some invited guests got their Christmas presents. Mrs. Roosevelt left some toys under the tree so that President Roosevelt could hand them out to their grandchildren. Mrs. Roosevelt wrote that he was "so interested in everyone else's presents that it might be four or five days after Christmas" before he opened his own gifts.
In the book, Mrs. Roosevelt wrote that each year, for about one hour on Christmas Eve morning she went to a local theater or the offices of an organization such as the Volunteers of American to attend a Christmas program of addresses and to listen to Christmas songs. She was frequently asked to speak. Then she helped to distribute gifts or baskets to the needy.
Mrs. Roosevelt was back at the White House by early afternoon when she and the president gave gifts to their office staff, the Secret Service and the White House police officers. She would hold a Christmas luncheon, which she described as "the office party" for those who worked in and maintained the rooms of the White House as well as their children. Mrs. Roosevelt wrote in her December 23, 1944" My Day" syndicated (United Feature Syndicate) newspaper column that she and President Roosevelt shook hands with 440 people that day.
President and Mrs. Roosevelt and whatever family and friends were at the White House were later driven to the lighting of the national Christmas tree, then called the community Christmas tree. After President Roosevelt pulled the switch to light the tree, he made a radio address to the nation. Mrs. Roosevelt wrote that the tree–lighting ceremony was always "impressive, with lovely music."
The only Christmases the Roosevelts did not spend in Washington were in 1943 and 1944. These were spent in Hyde Park, New York. Mrs. Roosevelt missed Christmas at the White House in 1936 to be in Boston with the ailing Franklin Delano Roosevelt Jr. and in 1937 to be in Seattle with their daughter Anna, who was also unwell at the time.
Starting in 1936, Mrs. Roosevelt got in the habit every Christmas Eve or Christmas of visiting the slums, or as she called them, the alleys, in Washington. An organization such as the Alley Dwelling Authority or the Council of Federated Churchwomen provided some lighted trees for those who lived in these slums. (I can't help think that they would have probably appreciated food instead.) There was a ceremony around these trees, including the singing of Christmas carols. Eleanor Roosevelt spoke and helped to distribute gifts. Of her visits to the alleys of Washington, Eleanor Roosevelt wrote that she always "went back to the White House with an added awareness of the inequality of our earthly blessings."
After the United States entered World War II, Mrs. Roosevelt also spent some time during the Christmas holiday visiting wounded soldiers at Walter Reed Army Hospital.
When Eleanor was back at the White House, if it was Christmas Eve she began celebrating Christmas with her family. By 1944 the Roosevelt's five children had given them more than a dozen grandchildren. The younger grandchildren ate dinner while the older ones decorated the family tree. Then President Roosevelt began reading aloud an abbreviated version of A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens.
Mrs. Roosevelt wrote that she would fill the Christmas stockings that would be hung in Franklin Roosevelt's room. (His legs had been paralyzed since he was stricken with polio in 1921.) She also filled stockings for the adults. Her adult children were said to be amused at her practicality in putting into their stockings items like nail files, soap and toothbrushes.
On Christmas day every one went into the president's room to open their stockings. Then the family had breakfast elsewhere in the White House while the president stayed and ate his breakfast in his room and got back to his work. The family went to church, had lunch and then lit their Christmas tree.
Around this Christmas tree, late in the afternoon, the Roosevelt family, along with some invited guests got their Christmas presents. Mrs. Roosevelt left some toys under the tree so that President Roosevelt could hand them out to their grandchildren. Mrs. Roosevelt wrote that he was "so interested in everyone else's presents that it might be four or five days after Christmas" before he opened his own gifts.