The story of the National Christmas Tree

An inspection of the National Christmas Tree in 1929 found severe damage from the decorating process and the heat and weight of the lights. Another 35-foot-tall Norway spruce was planted, and for the first time decorations were placed on the tree. However, the decorating process and natural events have caused the National Christmas Tree to be replaced several times over the decades.

From 1942 to 1945, for the first time in its history, the National Christmas Tree was not lit due to the need to conserve power and observe security restrictions during World War II. The lighting ceremony commenced in 1946 with the first live national broadcast, and for the first time federal officials suggested that the tree be replaced with an artificial tree, which was actively opposed and the idea dropped.

The tree lighting ceremony remained largely unchanged until 1954, when President Dwight Eisenhower approved a month-long series of events known as the "Pageant of Peace." The pageant required the National Christmas Tree move from the White House grounds to the Ellipse, and for the first time since the White House became a unit of the National Park Service in 1933, the Park Service required cut trees rather than live trees, a practice that lasted until public and environmental objections pressured the reintroduction of live trees in 1973.

The National Christmas Tree and the lighting ceremony have withstood near-disasters, world wars and conflicts, and anti-war and environmental protests; yet 88 years later, the National Christmas Tree remains a wonderful public spectacle and a unifying tradition.

Julia Altemus is the executive vice-president of the Montana Wood Products Association.