Even the White House gets in on the bedecking bonanza, and every December, 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue transforms into a holiday wonderland, adorned in glittery tinsel and trinkets. This year is no exception, and viewers can get a glimpse of the efforts that go into decorating the White House when “White House Christmas 2015″ airs Sunday, Dec. 13, on HGTV.
The Scripps Networks cabler has hosted the holiday special each year since 1998, and takes viewers behind the scenes to see the designers, volunteers and White House staff bring to life a special, meaningful Christmas theme selected by the first lady. Interior designer and HGTV star Genevieve Gorder returns yet again to host the festive special, lending her charm and keen design sense to the event.
The theme tradition was first started in 1961 by Jackie Kennedy, who trimmed the official White House Christmas tree in a “Nutcracker Suite” ballet theme. Subsequent first ladies continued the practice, and over the years, some merry motifs have included Rosalynn Carter’s “Antique Toy” theme in 1978, Barbara Bush’s “Family Literacy” theme in 1989, Laura Bush’s “Home for the Holidays” theme in 2001 and Michelle Obama’s “Gift of the American Spirit” theme in 2010.
A full plate » Paper plates can be more than just something you eat off of. There’s so much potential in the pulpy discs, especially as the holiday season rolls around.
So, what better way than to get the whole family involved in the Yuletide spirit (kids and grandkids, too!) than to gather around the dinner table and get crafty. Scissors, glue and colored pencils or markers are the only staples you’ll really need to get started on your creations, but you can also use cotton balls, pipe cleaners and construction paper to add some flair to the designs.
How about cutting out the center of a plate, coloring it green and gluing alternating red and white pompoms? Now you have a lovely wreath!
Or color a plate brown, cut out some ears and antlers from construction paper and glue a bright red pompom in the center. Draw on some eyes and a big smile and you’ve got Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer!
The possibilities are endless when you use your imagination, and this activity is a great way to get the whole family together for some fun quality time.
Not forgot » We sing it every year as the clock strikes midnight and the ball drops in Times Square, ushering in a new 365 days. It’s a classic song that most everyone seems to know, even if they don’t quite know all of the proper words. The question is, though: where did it come from and how did it become the popular dirge it is today?
To explore this, we have to go back to 18th-century Scotland. Poet Robert Burns first sent the song to his friend, Mrs. Frances Dunlop, in 1788 after hearing an old man from Ayrshire sing it. In 1796, “Auld Lang Syne” was finally brought to public attention when it was printed in the book Scots Musical Museum by James Johnson.
It wasn’t until 1929 that Canadian bandleader Guy Lombardo popularized the song at a New Year’s Eve party at the Roosevelt Hotel in New York City. He had heard the song sung by Scottish immigrants in his hometown of London, Ontario, and played it with his dance band, Guy Lombardo and His Royal Canadians, birthing what has become a New Year’s tradition.
