The Creche in the East Room was the art for the 1963 official Presidential Christmas Card for President & Mrs. John F. Kennedy.

The art is a photograph of the Creche in the East Room of the White House. The sentiment reads, "With our wishes for a Blessed Christmas and a Happy New Year". Due to the President's tragic death, the cards were never sent. Before departing for Dallas, the President and First Lady signed less than 30 of what were to become rare collector's items. (Not for Sale) This rare piece of history is facsimile signed and printed by Hallmark

Hallmark Cards

Each year since the first Kennedy Christmas, an 18th century Neapolitan creche has been on display in the White House. In 1961, Loretta Hines Howard, a noted collector of religious figures, installed the creche in a niche in the East Room against a backdrop of gold curtains. The individual figures - men, women, angels, animals, kings and cherubs depicted the Nativity scene arranged in a pyramid shape symbolic of the evergreen tree.

In 1967 a permanent gift of the Nativity was given to Mrs. Lyndon Johnson and is part of the White House collection.