Some past presidents have made interesting Christmas observations worth sharing. I acknowledge my thanks to author/speaker Bill Federer and his book, America’s God and Country, which has been quoted by the Supreme Court (Greece v. Galloway, 2014).

When he was very young, George Washington copied the following Christmas poem in his own handwriting, apparently taking it from the February 1743 issue of Gentleman’s Magazine (London). It reflects the orthodox understanding of the incarnation—God becoming man in the Person of Jesus—who is Immanuel, meaning “God with us.” The poem evidently impressed the young Washington enough for him to make a handwritten copy.

Washington wrote down the following:

ON CHRISTMAS DAY

Assist me Muse divine to sing the morn,

On which the Savior of mankind was born;

But oh! what numbers to the theme can rise?

Unless kind angels aid me from the skies?

Methinks I see the tunefull Host descend,

Hark, by their hymns directed on the road,

The gladsome Shepherds find the nascent God!

And view the infant conscious of his birth,

Smiling bespeak salvation to the earth!

For when the important era first drew near

In which the great Messiah should appear

And to accomplish His redeeming love

Resign a while his glorious throne above.

Beneath our form every woe sustain

And by triumphant suffering fix His reign

Should for lost man in tortures yield his breath,

Dying to save us from eternal death!

Oh mystic Union! Salutary grace!

Incarnate God our nature should embrace!

That Deity should stoop to our disguise!

That man recovered should regain the skies!

Dejected Adam! From thy Grave ascend

And view the Serpent’s Deadly Malice end,

Adoring bless the Almighty’s boundless grace

That gave his son a ransom for thy race!

There are people who claim Washington was a Deist, but Dr. Peter Lillback and I document that our first president was clearly a devout Trinitarian Christian in our book, George Washington’s Sacred Fire (2006), and this poem is but an example of the evidence we cite. The documented evidence shows that Washington worshiped Jesus as the divine Savior and Lord all his life.

President Harry S. Truman on the “star of faith”

Jumping ahead to the 20th century, we see some remarkable statements from President Harry S. Truman, as he was lighting the national Christmas tree on December 24, 1946: “The message of Bethlehem best sums up our hopes tonight. If we as a nation, and the other nations of the world, will accept it, the star of faith will guide us into the place of peace as it did the shepherds on that day of Christ’s birth long ago.”

Truman went on to talk about how our nation has seen “the fundamental unity of Christianity and democracy.” Sin still prevails, noted our 33rd president, but Christmas provides an antidote: “Selfishness and greed, individual or national, cause most of our troubles. He whose birth we celebrate tonight was the world’s greatest teacher. He said: ‘Therefore all things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them; for this is the law and the prophets.’ Through all the centuries since He spoke, history has vindicated His teaching.”

He also added, “We have our unique national heritage because of a common aspiration to be free and because of our purpose to achieve for ourselves and for our children the good things of life which the Christ declared He came to give to all mankind.”

President John F. Kennedy’s remarks at the 1962 Christmas tree lighting

When John F. Kennedy lit the Christmas tree on December 17, 1962, in the Pageant of Peace Ceremonies, he DECLARED, “With the lighting of this tree, which is an old ceremony in Washington and one which has been among the most important responsibilities of a good many Presidents of the United States, we initiate in a formal way the Christmas Season. We mark the festival of Christmas, which is the most sacred and hopeful day in our civilization. For nearly two thousand years the message of Christmas, the message of peace and good will towards all men, has been the guiding star of our endeavors….[Even people of other faiths] pause from their labors on the 25th day of December to celebrate the birthday of the Prince of Peace.”

President Ronald Reagan’s 1983 Christmas radio address

I close these presidential reflections on Christmas with President Reagan’s radio address to the nation at Christmastime 1983: “Some celebrate Christmas as the birthday of a great teacher and philosopher. But to other millions of us, Jesus is much more. He is divine, living assurance that God so loved the world He gave us His only begotten Son so that by believing in Him and learning to love each other we could one day be together in paradise.”

Merry Christmas!

See also “Christmas with the presidents,” by Jerry Newcombe, December 1, 2023