As a committed conservationist, President Theodore Roosevelt didn’t believe in cutting down trees for Christmas decorations. His White House had no tree in most of the years of his presidency, with him either forbidding them or simply not ordering one.

Instead of a tree, Teddy threw a carnival for children, featuring dinner, dancing, souvenirs, and Santa-shaped ice cream. However, Roosevelt’s son Archie defied the Christmas tree ban  in 1902, and smuggled a small tree into a closet.

LOC