Holiday Fun Facts:
  • The Christmas tree can be traced back to the ancient Romans who decorated trees with small pieces of metal.
  • The 2009 White House Blue Room Christmas Tree is an 18 1/2-by-13-foot Douglas fir.
  • The Nutcracker (Ballet) was adapted from The Nutcracker and the Mouse King, by German writer E.T.A. Hoffman.
  • St. Francis of Assisi introduced the singing of carols to holiday church services.
  • The 2009 White House Christmas theme: 'Reflect, rejoice, renew'
  • In Roman times, holiday gift giving was popular during Saturnalia, a winter solstice celebration.
  • The first printed reference to Christmas trees appeared in Germany in 1531.
  • It is traditional to exchange kisses under the mistletoe. In Scandinavia, mistletoe signifies peace and friendship.
  • The traditional flaming Christmas pudding dates back to 1670 in England.
  • The traditional flaming Christmas pudding dates back to 1670 in England.
Due to the number of varieties, cookies will vary by recipient. Please consult the recipes on this site for information on ingredients.