History of the White House Creche (Nativity Scene.) I am happy to see the White House has such a LOVELY Nativity Scene. Jesus is the reason for the Season. "A 300-year-old crèche was first loaned to the White House in 1961 by philanthropist Mrs. Charles W. Englehard, who helped then-First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy choose thematic decorations. The wood and terra cotta creche was purchased in Naples, Italy, and features 22 wooden figures, including a crowned baby Jesus. It was featured on President Kennedy’s 1963 Christmas card, which was never sent because of his assassination on November 22 of that year. In 1967 Mrs. Englehard made a permanent gift of the creche to Lady Bird Johnson for the White House’s annual “Pageant of Peace” Christmas display. Each year since the first Kenndy Christmas, an 18th century Neapolitan creche has been on display in the White House. In 1961 Loretta Hines Howard, a noted collector of religious figures installed the creche in a niche in the East Room against a backdrop of gold curtains. The individual figures- men, women, angels, animals, kings and chrubs depicted the Nativitiy scene arranged in a pyamid shape symbolic of the evergreen tree. In 1967 a permanent gift of the Nativity was given to Mrs. Lyndon Johnson and is part of the White House collection."  https://mynativity.com/blog/history-of-the-white-house-creche-nativity-scene/ Early National Displays of the Nativity Scene "Every year since 1954, under the Eisenhower administration, the White House has held the Pageant of Peace to celebrate Christmas. The pageant involved three weeks of performances and religious observances, including a life-size nativity display. However, the nativity scene’s role in national observances has been embroiled in legal battles since the 60’s. By 1968 there was a growing movement to remove the nativity scene from official government holiday celebrations and by 1973 a court ruling banned the display of a life-size nativity or any other religious symbols from the annual Pageant of Peace. The ban on the nativity scene held from the Nixon era until the Reagan era when the ban was finally overturned. In 1984 the nativity was able to make its appearance once again to the Pageant of Peace. A Very Special Creche During the Christmas season of 1961, before the ban of the nativity scene and other religious symbols, a beautiful 18th century Neapolitan creche made of terracotta and carved wood from Naples, Italy along with a backdrop of delicate gold curtains were installed in the East Room of the White House. It became a centerpiece of the annual White House Christmas decor. In fact, President Kennedy’s 1963 Christmas card featured a photo of the creche organized in shape of a Christmas tree. The President and Mrs. Kennedy signed only 30 of the Christmas cards before the President was assassinated on November 30th. The cards were never sent out." "Saint Francis of Assisi is credited with creating the first live nativity scene in 1223 in order to cultivate the worship of Christ. He himself had recently been inspired by his visit to the Holy Land, where he'd been shown Jesus's traditional birthplace."