On Monday, MTSU students had a hand in creating Tennessee's ornaments for the national Christmas tree in Washington, D.C. Students helped to assist 24 young artists from across the state in a special workshop on the Blue Raider campus. For the entire story, please see the posted video below.
Every year, one-of-a-kind ornaments are made by everyday Americans to hang on the 56 trees – one for every U.S. state, territory and the District of Columbia – that surround the national Christmas tree.
In 1923, President Calvin Coolidge walked from the White House to the Ellipse to light a 48-foot fir tree decorated with 2,500 electric bulbs in red, white and green, as a local choir and a “quartet” from the U.S. Marine Band performed.
Ninety years later, the tree-lighting ceremony has become a family must-see, whether in person in Washington, D.C., or on TV in a special National Park Service and National Park Foundation program featuring entertainers from multiple genres.