Washington - Event

The lighting of the enormous National Christmas Tree opens the seasonal festivities at the Ellipse in Washington, DC. The huge Colorado blue spruce is surrounded by smaller, beautifully lit trees, each representing a different state and territory in the USA.

Tickets to the National Christmas Tree Lighting ceremony sell out months in advance. The evening features the President's message of peace to the world, as well as entertainment from famous performers and a military band.

The tradition of a Christmas tree on the Ellipse dates back to 1923, when the local public schools, under the auspices of First Lady Grace Coolidge, erected a tree and dubbed it the "National Christmas Tree". By the Eisenhower presidency the scope of National Christmas Tree Lighting & the Pageant of Peace had grown to encompass more than 50 representative trees.