Christmas Trees and Teddy Roosevelt

My kids know me.  I was quite delighted to receive this photo of one of my current students visiting her grandma. She found this White House Christmas ornament of Teddy Roosevelt.  She wanted her mom to send it to me!

On Monday, one of my students came to me and asked if I kew about the Christmas tree Teddy had in the White House.  He was hoping to trick me, but to his surprise, I was able to respond and told him that TR did not allow a Christmas tree in the White House.

If you look closely at the 2011 White House ornament, you can see that the Christmas tree that the Roosevelts are looking at is actually in the closet.  Being the conservationist that he was, Teddy did not approve of having a cut tree in the White House.  His sons, Quentin and Archie, surprised the family on their second Christmas in the White House by cutting down a small tree from the White House property, decorating it and placing it in a closet in the same room the family opened gifts.

​Love that my students find fun learning even on a Christmas tree!

White House Hist. Assoc.