The Obama holiday card is secular—but so was Eisenhower’s

My blog neighbor Kathy Schiffer, posting on the Obamas’ Christmas card, notes that Huffington Post described the greeting as “stubbornly secular.” As American Thinker put it: 

 The Obama family this year sent out what must be the most depressing White House Christmas card of all time. Not only is there no mention of God or Jesus, or anything vaguely religious, the aesthetics of the thing are downright depressing.

I don’t know if it’s depressing, but it is sort of boring.

But what about the “stubbornly secular” part?  I was curious to see what other presidents had done in the past. Turns out there’s an entire website devoted to the subject of White House Christmas cards, with descriptions of what various families sent out over the years.

It’s revealing.  Overt mentions of religion have sometimes been exceedingly rare.

Consider Dwight Eisenhower’s first card, for example:

During his first Christmas in the White House in 1953, Eisenhower referred to Hallmark President Joyce C. Hall for assistance with his first official Christmas cards as the President of the U.S. An artist himself, Eisenhower painted a portrait of Abraham Lincoln while waiting for news on a Korean armistice. For inspiration, he used a photograph of Lincoln done by Alexander Gardner in 1863. Eisenhower ordered 1,100 white keepsake folders from Hallmark, each containing a reproduction of his Lincoln painting. All of the folders were embossed with the official Presidential Seal. Over 500 of the reproductions were given to White House staff members at the annual Christmas party. Each folder was accompanied by a gift enclosure Christmas card imprinted with the words “Season’s Greetings” in gold.

The Kennedys, however, set a more religious tone—but only on some of the cards:

Hallmark president Joyce C. Hall, who had been Eisenhower’s go-to man for Christmas cards and gift prints, was again commissioned to assist the Kennedys with their Christmas cards endeavors. Hallmark reproduced 1,000 color gift prints, each accompanied by a red protective folder with an embossed Presidential Seal on the front. The Christmas gift prints were given to White House staff members at an informal reception held in mid-December.

For the President’s official White House Christmas cards, Hallmark produced a design similar to the ones from Eisenhower’s presidency. The 1961 White House Christmas cards featured a wide green silk screen ban on a smooth white stock accompanied by the official Presidential Seal and the sentiment “Season’s Greetings 1961” engraved in gold. The imprint read: “The President and Mrs. Kennedy wish you a Blessed Christmas and a Happy New Year.” Kennedy ordered 800 official Christmas cards from Hallmark. Additionally, since the President was sending Christmas cards to leaders around the world, he ordered 100 cards with a general New Year’s imprint that did not make any mention of Christmas.

And then there’s this description of the last card sent out by the Reagans in 1988:

President and Mrs. Reagan’s last White House Christmas cards design was entitled North Entry Hall at Christmas. This final card was done, once again, as a watercolor painting by Thomas William Jones in 1988 and featured a unique view of the entrance hall. The painting appears as if you are sneaking a peek between two columns to see what might be about to happen in the entry hall. The unique view shows a circa 1795 gilded mirror reflecting the draped window that lends a sense of space to the painting. Several lovely Christmas poinsettia arrangements are displayed on a table purchased by James Monroe in 1817. Warmth, light, and a feeling of expectation are all revealed in the painting’s view from the Cross Hall. The details are subtly executed by a master hand. Although Jones was not paid for his efforts, he felt “the honor of being asked [was] payment enough.”

The 125,000 White House Christmas cards of 1988 were imprinted with the message, “The President and Mrs. Reagan extend to you warm wishes that your holidays and the coming year will be filled with happiness and peace.”

Check out more at the White House Christmas Card website.

The Obama holiday card may not be to everyone’s taste—but I don’t think it counts as yet another attack on Christmas.

If you want to argue about that, you’ll have to take it up with General Eisenhower.