The White House at Christmas is something to behold, with garland, trees, lights and ornate gingerbread houses taking over much of the property come December.
The holiday has been celebrated at the president's home for centuries. But it wasn't always quite such a spectacle and, in fact, first families have decked the halls in a variety of different ways.
"The first White House Christmas party occurred less than two months after the first occupants moved in," Stewart D. McLaurin, president of the White House Historical Association, explains.
That was in November 1800, when John Adams and his wife, Abigail, became the first president and first lady to move in to the White House. The next month, they hosted a Christmas gathering at their new home.
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