The holiday season might feel far off, but the White House Historical Association is already in the festive mood, announcing that the 2024 Official White House Christmas Ornament will honor former President Jimmy Carter. The association, which began issuing these yuletide commemoratives in 1981, breaks tradition this year by celebrating a president who's yet to join his fellow commanders-in-chief in history's silence.
Carter, the 39th president and now 99 years old, not only becomes the first living former president to have such an ornament designed in his tribute, but also sees his life and presidency encapsulated in a solid brass piece. To quickly secure one, be ready to shell out $24.95 and head over to the White House History Shop or its other famous DC locations, as reported by FOX 5 Atlanta.
Reflective of Carter's career from Navy service to peacemaking efforts while in office, the ornament showcases various symbols: doves and vibrant red poinsettias from his White House holiday decorations, the Seawolf-class USS Jimmy Carter submarine representing his unique naval qualification, peanuts for his Georgia farming days, and a globe signifying his ongoing commitment to the environment and world peace.
Stewart McLaurin, president of the historical association, noted the special nature of the honor, stating, "the first time in the history of our ornament program that we’ve been able to feature a living president," according to AP News. The ornament strides to honor more than just political service; it also pays respect to Carter’s farming roots and business acumen before his time in the Oval Office.
This tribute comes at a particularly poignant time, as the Carter family recollects the life and enduring legacy of Rosalynn Carter, who passed away in November of 2023 following a brief period in hospice care. The Carter Center, on the first anniversary of Carter's own hospice care, released a statement that they were "pleased that his decision last year to enter hospice care has sparked so many family discussions across the country on an important subject." The Carter family remains a symbol of dignity and a lens through which we examine life's final chapters, meanwhile, the ornament reminds us of the ceaseless thread of a public life given to the service of others.
