Lighting of the National Christmas Tree

Lighting of the National Christmas Tree

DecemberOn a selected night in December, the president of the United States lights the national Christmas tree at the northern end of the Ellipse in Washington, D.C., to the accompaniment of orchestral and choral music. The lighting ceremony marks the beginning of the two-week Pageant of Peace, a huge holiday celebration in the nation's capital that includes seasonal music, caroling, 50 state Christmas trees, and a burning Yule log.
CONTACTS:
President's Park (White House), White House Visitor Center
White House Liaison
1450 Pennsylvania Ave. N.W.
Washington, D.C. 20242
800-877-8339 or 202-208-1631; fax: 202-208-1643
www.nps.gov/whho/index.htm
SOURCES:
EncyChristmas-2003, p. 527
GdUSFest-1984, p. 205