The First Lady received the official 2022 White House Christmas Tree at the White House on Nov. 21, an 18 and a half foot Concolor Fir from Evergreen Acres Christmas Tree Farm in Auburn, Pa. The tree was pulled by horses named Ben and Winston, who her 2-year-old grandson Beau, accompanying her at the tree's arrival was eager to pet. The First Lady welcomed the tree along with fellow National Guard and Army mom, Mrs. Kelly Hokanson, the spouse of the Chief of the National Guard Bureau General, Daniel Hokanson. The tree was selected through a contest won by the Shealer Family of Evergreen Acres Christmas Tree Farm in Auburn, Pennsylvania, the 2022 Grand Champion Grower in the National Christmas Tree Association’s annual contest.
Every year, the chandelier in the Blue room is removed to accommodate the sprawling winner as it becomes the centerpiece of the holiday season at the White House.
History of First Lady Jill Biden Receiving the White House Christmas Tree
First Lady Jill Biden received the official 2022 White House Christmas Tree on Monday, November 22nd along with a D.C. Army National Guard family to honor the role of the National Guard in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The centerpiece was an 18 and a half foot Fraser fir from Jefferson, North Carolina. This tree was presented by Rusty and Beau Estes of Peak Farms, who were named 2021 Grand Champion Grower in the National Christmas Tree Association’s annual contest.
History of the White House Christmas Tree from the White House Historical Association:
- The first known Christmas tree in the White House was placed upstairs in the Second Floor Oval Room (then used as a family parlor and library) in 1889 during the Benjamin Harrison administration. It was decorated with candles for the Harrison grandchildren.
- Documentation suggests the first electric lights on a family tree were used in 1894 during the presidency of Grover Cleveland (as electricity was installed in the White House in 1891).
- The Taft children—Robert, Helen, and Charles—placed the first tree in the Blue Room on the State Floor in 1912. President William Howard Taft and First Lady Helen Taft were away on a trip to Panama, so the tree was a surprise for the seven young Laughlin and Herron cousins, who with their parents, were guests at the White House.
- Since the Taft family placed a Christmas tree in the Blue Room in 1912, this custom of placing a tree or multiple trees on the State Floor was sporadically performed by successive first families. Some families placed a small tree in the Blue Room; many others preferred a large tree or trees in the East Room, as this was where most of the seasonal activities took place.
- During the Dwight Eisenhower administration, First Lady Mamie Eisenhower featured a tree in the Blue Room consistently. First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy continued this tradition and in 1961 selected a theme for the annual Blue Room Christmas tree. That year, the tree was decorated with objects depicting characters and toys from the "Nutcracker Suite" ballet. This tradition of a themed Blue Room Christmas tree has continued ever since.
- Since 1966, the National Christmas Tree Association has held a competition for the official White House Blue Room tree. To qualify for the national contest, growers must first win their state or regional competitions.