While the President may change, the beauty of the ornaments from the White House Historical Association keeps going through the years. Because the President and his/her family has nothing to do with the ornament, they are not political or subject to a family with inherently bad taste.

This subject came to me courtesy of a piece at Politico by Calder McHugh, “The Least Merry White House Holiday Cards”. The Christmas cards all seem tired and unimaginative, and clearly these families didn’t care or couldn’t be bothered.

The White House Christmas Ornament, on the other hand, is designed by professionals and made in the good, ole USA. Rhode Island is the state and the founder of ChemArt is an Army veteran. Hooah:

I’ll tell you about the helicopter in a second. The featured image at the top of the page is a two-sided, enamel gingerbread version of the White House and it smells like gingerbread. Included in the box is a copy of Pat Nixon’s gingerbread recipe. It was First Lady Nixon who had the first White House gingerbread display.

The official 2017 ornament features this magnificent eagle on one side and the White House on the other side.

2019 featured the very first Marine One. It was used by Dwight D. Eisenhower in 1953. This one has a second meaning for us. Although our son is most proud of being Airborne and a Jumpmaster, in the first couple of years as he first commissioned, he got sling-load certified. At the time, he said the coolest thing he had ever done was to stand under an airborne helicopter and hook equipment up to it.

That’s another great part of the White House ornaments. Once we hang them, we talk about the memories associated with them. We also talk about the people associated with them. I have always said that immigrants are far more patriotic than those of us blessed to be born here. I was started collecting White House Christmas ornaments by Inge Buxbaum Rosenbaum back in 1995. She and her late husband Kurt were Jewish immigrants from Germany and naturalized American citizens. Kurt was with the 10th Mountain Division in World War II. I will always think about them when I think about these ornaments.

It’s too late to start this year, but order now to place on your tree next year. Good memories and Merry Christmas.

Featured Image: Toni S. Williams