Tag Archives: Celebration

Celebration – The White House Christmas

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Decorating the White House can be a very challenging project.  It has 132 rooms, 28 fireplace mantels, 412 doors and 147 windows which all need to be decorated.  For example, in 2000 the White House was decorated with 1,120 feet of garland, 50,000 lights, 220 poinsettias and 34 Christmas trees.  This is the reason that planning for the White House Christmas decorations can start as early as July.  At that time, the First Lady will pick the theme for the upcoming Christmas.

Jackie Kennedy is considered to be the first person to decide on a specific theme to decorate the White House for the holiday season.  That theme was the “Nutcracker” and it has been used two additional times over the last 30 years – in 1990 by Nancy Reagan and 1996 by Hilary Clinton. For more details of the White House Christmas themes from 1961 to present, visit the White House Historical Association website at www.whitehousehistory.org

The main focus of the decorations is the official White House Christmas tree and it holds a prominent place in the center of the Blue Room.  The tree usually stands nearly 20 feet tall and the crystal chandelier has to be removed.  The Chief Usher usually selects the tree and it is donated every year since 1966 by the National Christmas Tree Association.  Once the tree is delivered to the White House, the National Park service members will bring the tree into the Blue Room.  The White House Floral Department staff and season volunteers decorate the tree and the various rooms on the first floor of the White House.

       

Those other rooms include:  The East Colonnade which has a distinctive set of windows that are usually decorated with several wreaths or poinsettias.  The Grand Foyer and adjacent the Cross Hall are such a large space that it can be sometimes difficult to decorate because this area needs to remain open to accommodate the many holiday festivities.  This area usually has several Christmas trees and garlands decorated in the style to fit the theme for the year.  The Green Room’s color scheme is perfect for the holiday season.  It is usually decorated with topiaries, floral arrangements and pine garlands draped across the mantel and fall all the way to the floor.  The Red Room’s bold color makes it one of the easiest rooms to decorate for the holidays.  Traditionally this room will have a cranberry topiary.  The State Dining Room is used for various holiday special events such as elaborate luncheons and dinner parties.  It can hold any number of tables beautifully decorated with floral centerpieces, place cards and menu cards for the honored guests.

One of the things I like to do every year is watch the HGTV White House Christmas Special.  I love to see how the staff and volunteers decorate the various rooms.  There are always great ideas which inspire me to create something on a much smaller scale for my home.  This year I finally made the cranberry topiary for our dining room.  (Please see this week’s Craft post for photos and directions on how I made my own cranberry topiary – it’s so easy!)

Watch for the White House Christmas Special on HGTV –
check the HGTV website for your local television listing for the channel, date and time it will be on in your area. www.HGTV.com

Celebration – Hallmark Ornaments

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I have been collecting Hallmark Keepsake Ornaments every year for over thirty years.  I buy at least one for the family and one for each of my children.  I’ve also collected different series like: Betsey Clark, Disney, Unicef and Star Trek ornaments for my husband.  My son’s collection includes: Peanuts, Looney Tunes and Star Wars.  My daughter’s collection includes Disney Princesses and Barbie.  Our total ornament count is easily over two hundred.

It takes a couple of hours to unpacked all the ornaments and it is something that my daughter and I enjoying doing every Christmas.  Eventually, when my children get married and establish their own homes, for their first married Christmas they will receive a large storage box filled with their Hallmark ornaments to decorate their own Christmas tree.  My wish is that when they open the boxes it will bring them happy memories of their childhood.

        

        

HISTORY OF THE HALLMARK KEEPSAKE ORNAMENTS  

In 1973, the Hallmark Greeting Card Company introduced six glass ball ornaments and 12 yarn ornaments as the first Hallmark Keepsake Ornaments.  This started a new tradition of Christmas decorating and created a new collectible industry.  Since that first year of production, Hallmark has manufactured more than 3,000 different Keepsake Ornaments and over 100 different ornament series with specific themes.

Since the first year Hallmark produced the first Keepsake ornaments, many different styles, materials and technologies have gone into creating these wonderful collectibles.  Ornaments are made with a wide variety of materials that includes glass, acrylic, bone china and porcelain.  The technology includes ornaments that light up, motion and voice recordings in recent years.

Each ornament is dated with the year of production and this makes them highly collectible.  A new Hallmark Keepsake Ornament Collection appears every year in July and a “Dream Book” is released prior to that time and shows all the ornaments for the upcoming year.  For additional information on Hallmark Ornaments  please see their website at www.hallmark.com/keepsake-ornaments.

Not only are Hallmark Ornaments used for decorating the Christmas tree, but they make wonderful gifts for family and friends.  There is such a variety of choices that it is easy to find that perfect ornament for the newlyweds, new homeowner, parents-to-be, baby’s first Christmas, teacher or even a special friend.

Hallmark Ornaments can also be used to decorate a home.  Some ideas include:

  • add a ribbon to an ornament and tie it around a napkin at each place setting
  • incorporate ornaments into the centerpiece of the table
  • with ribbon, hang special ornaments in a shadow box
  • use several themed ornaments to decorate a pine wreath
  • tied with a ribbon special ornaments can add to a presents gift wrapping
  • use several themed ornaments to decorate a pine garland on a fireplace mantel

The high quality and superior craftsmanship ensure that Hallmark Keepsake Ornaments will become family heirlooms and cherished collectibles for years to come.

Celebration – Thanksgiving Trivia

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WHAT FOODS WERE SERVED AT THE PILGRIM’S FIRST THANKSGIVING?

Wildfowl, (ducks, geese, turkey and swans), venison, fish, Indian corn as well as puddings, soups and edible plants were spread out on long tables to enable the diners to serve themselves.  They used knives and spoons but no forks.  Drinking vessels and wooden plates were used with oversized three- foot square linen napkins.

Today nearly 90 percent of Americans serve turkey (roasted, baked or even deep-fried) for Thanksgiving dinner along with other traditional foods such as stuffing, mashed potatoes, cranberry sauce and pumpkin pie.

WHICH DEPARTMENT STORE SPONSORED THE FIRST THANKSGIVING DAY PARADE?

(The answer is NOT what you expect!)

The answer is Gimble’s Department Store; they held the first Thanksgiving Day parade in 1920 in Philadelphia, PA.  Macy’s Department Store in New York City held their first parade a few years later in 1924.

The Macy’s Thanksgiving Day parade is one of the largest and most famous parades in America.  It is seen by an enormous television audience and also attracts 2 or 3 million people along its 2.5 mile route.  Of course, the parade features the famous giant balloons in the shape of cartoon characters, along with various marching bands, musical performers and celebrities on elaborate floats.

 

Celebration – The History of Thanksgiving

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THE FIRST THANKSGIVING –

In 1620, a small ship named the Mayflower left Plymouth, England with 102 passengers.  They were seeking a new home where they could freely practice their faith and were lured by the promise of land ownership and future prosperity in the New World.  After a difficult 66 day voyage across the Atlantic Ocean, they arrived near present day Cape Cod at the mouth of the Hudson River.  Eventually the Pilgrims crossed Massachusetts Bay to establish a village they named Plymouth.

During that first brutal winter, the colonists were exposed to harsh weather conditions and they suffered from scurvy and contagious disease outbreaks.  When their first spring in the New World came only half of the original passengers had survived.  Weakened by malnutrition and illness, the Pilgrims formed an alliance with the local Native Americans tribe called the Wampanoag who taught them how to cultivate corn, catch fish in the rivers and avoid the poisonous plants.

In 1621, the Pilgrims organized a feast to celebrate their first successful corn harvest.  To show their respect and appreciation, they invited the Wampanoag.  Now remembered as America’s first Thanksgiving, no records exist of the historic menu.  The journals of the colonists mention a fowl hunting expedition and also note that the Wampanoag supplied the feast with five deer.  Historians suggest that many of the dishes served were prepared using traditional Native American cooking methods and local spices.  Since the Pilgrims sugar supply had dwindled over their first year in the New World, it is very unlikely that the menu included the pies or cakes that have become associated with our modern celebration.

THANKSGIVING AS AN OFFICAL HOLIDAY –

In 1789, several years after the conclusion of the Revolutionary War, George Washington issued the first Thanksgiving proclamation.  He called upon Americans to express gratitude for the fight for independence and the successful ratification of the U.S. Constitution.  Both John Adams and Thomas Jefferson continued this tradition of  a Thanksgiving celebration during their presidential administrations.

In 1863, at the height of the Civil War, Abraham Lincoln proclaimed that a Thanksgiving Day will be celebrated the last Thursday in November to heal the wounds of the nation and pray for the widows and orphans of the war between the North and South.

It was celebrated on that day every year until 1939, when Franklin D. Roosevelt moved the holiday forward one week to extend the holiday shopping period as an attempt to increase retail sales during the Great Depression.  In 1941, a bill was signed making Thanksgiving officially the fourth Thursday in November and has been celebrated on that day ever since.