Every year in the beginning of December, 17,000 people gather on the National Mall to view the annual lighting of the National Christmas Tree. People come from all over the country and from all walks of life to gather around the towering evergreen on a chilly winter’s night. For many families it is a time honored tradition to travel to DC to see the tree lit up with thousands of brilliant light bulbs.
The tradition started in 1923 when President Calvin Coolidge lit the first National Tree. The 48 foot tree was covered in 2,500 light bulbs and the people were serenaded by a local choir and the small Marine Corps band. By 1953, millions of people were watching the ceremony on television. It became so big that there was a great deal of outside pressure to expand the event. So in 1954, the Pageant of Peace and the Pathway of Peace were added to the ceremony. The pageant included over 6,000 performers and drew in the largest crowds ever seen. The Pathway of Peace was composed of smaller trees representing all the states and territories including the District of Columbia. It became a new favorite with Americans as the ceremony turned from a single night event to a three-week affair.
Standing alongside the tree is the National Hanukkah Menorah which made its first appearance in 1979 when President Carter assisted Rabbi Shemtov in lighting the 30 foot menorah. Since then the National Menorah has become the most widely viewed Hanukkah event as it is watched by millions of people worldwide.
This year, on December 4, the National Christmas Tree was lit in the 92nd annual celebration with appearances from many famous artists. The hosts were Tom Hanks and Rita Wilson with performances by; Patty LaBelle (singing It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year), Steve Miller singing (Rudolph), NE-YO singing (I’ll Be Home for Christmas), and many other famous artists with a special guest appearance from Mo’ne Davis, who was just named Sports Illustrated “Sportkid of the Year.”
As a new twist this year, the National Parks Foundation teamed up with Google to help with their “Made with Code” initiative. They have allowed girls from each state to design the color and pattern of the light for their respective tree through the use of coding. During the concerts all 50 of the smaller trees danced in a light show designed by each of the girls.
The night was filled with fun events such as the First Lady and Mo’ne Davis reading The Night Before Christmas to a group of you children on stage and Tom Hanks and President Obama joking around about making a movie together.
The night ended with all the performers gathering on stage to sing a medley of Christmas music, joined by the First Family dancing along and singing together.