The second annual White House Holidays Ornament, released in memory of John F. Kennedy. May 29, 2017, commemorated the 100th anniversary of John F. Kennedy's birth. The 2017 White House Holidays Christmas ornament features the Creche displayed in the East Room of the White House.
The story of the creche
The Creche in the East Room was the art for the 1963 official Presidential Christmas Card for President & Mrs. John F. Kennedy. 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. 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 are 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.
Details
- The ornament is made from solid brass with a 24kt Gold frost finish
- The colors on the ornament have been hand screen printed
- The burgundy and gold frame with a thin cream border was created to showcase the Neapolitan Nativity
- This ornament is exclusive to White House Holidays and should not be confused with the White House Historical Association ornament
- This annual ornament is proudly made in the USA