How to Get a White House Christmas Card

Everyone loves sending Christmas cards during the holiday season, and this includes the President’s family. It may be hard to picture the President’s Christmas like an every day, traditional family, with vintage Christmas stockings at the mantel and Christmas sweaters– but White House Christmas cards are a longstanding tradition. Each member of the family usually signs it to add a personal touch. However, the families all have different ways of designing their Christmas cards. For that reason, many try to get their hands on one of these during the holidays.

The families put a lot of time into creating the perfect card, so you may be wondering, who receives the White House Christmas card? Find out who currently gets the White House Christmas card and how you can potentially be one of the lucky recipients this upcoming holiday.

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stack of envelopes

What is the White House Christmas Card?

The White House Christmas card has been an American tradition for about 90 years now. It first started off as a way for the President to wish the staff and political supporters a happy holiday. Each President has a different take on the Christmas cards, and styles vary across the board.

Over time, the cards have varied from having pictures to just having a block or paragraph of writing. Sometimes it is a simple “Merry Christmas” card, just like the most current one from the Trump family. Other times, the presidential seal is on the card. One of the more memorable cards was sent by the Obama family in 2013. It was a pop-up White House and was signed by the entire family, including the pets. This is not only show-stopping, but it is also a fun representation of the White House.

Who Gets the White House Christmas Card?

The White House Christmas card is something that many people treasure and collect. So, who gets the White House Christmas card? In general, the average person doesn’t just receive the card. It is mostly those that are involved in politics and the media that make the cut. Along with this, the White House staff and the friends of the staff receive the card. It is safe to say that you have to be within the circle to get the White House Christmas card. However, there are ways around this.

If you have no ties to the White House, you can do what a lot of people have been known for doing, and donate to the political party in hopes of getting a card. This tactic is used a lot, and in the cases of not knowing which party will get elected, people give money to both parties.


Why Do People Get the White House Christmas Card?

The President and his family want to share their holiday sentiments with friends and family, just like everyone else. So it makes sense for them to write a Christmas card, too. But, the White House Christmas card is more than just a card. It’s also seen as a sort of reward or a thank you for political support. They also want to be able to thank their staff and those that are close to the family for their hard work and successes.

How to Send a Christmas Card to the White House

So, the White House sends out Christmas cards to a few lucky recipients, but can you send a Christmas card to the White House? The answer is yes! If you are sending out Christmas cards and want to send one to the White House you are in luck. While there are no specific rules for Christmas cards, you can follow the rules for regular cards being sent to the White House.

  1. Include a return address on the envelope of the card.
  2. Address the card to The White House, 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW, Washington, DC, 20500.

How to Receive Greetings From the White House

Other than elegant Christmas cards, the White House also sends out other kinds of greetings. However, there are different rules that come with each card you could potentially receive.

For example, if you want to have them send a birth greeting, a request must be sent in to the White House within one year of the birth date. If you want a wedding anniversary greeting, you have to wait until you’ve been married for 50 years or more. If you are hoping to receive birthday greetings on your special day, you have to be during 80 years old. However, if you are a veteran, you can get one once you’ve turned 70. A retirement greeting requires 20 years of service or longer, and a wedding greeting has no requirements. In order to make requests, you can visit their request page. All it takes is sending in your request if it fits the requirements.

Final Thoughts on the White House Christmas Card

You can also buy the cards online after they have been sent out. However, normally collectors are the ones buying them. Buying online also comes with a steep price, and can range anywhere from $30-$150. If this seems like a bit much to you and you also don’t have luck with the Christmas card, remember that you can always get another form of greeting from the White House.