President Obama and his family lit the National Christmas Tree for the last time on Thursday, Dec 1.
Obama was joined by his wife, Michelle and his youngest daughter, Sasha, at the annual ceremony and greeted everyone in the crowd as he stepped onto the stage.
"Happy holidays to all of you ... to everybody who is here tonight and everybody watching at home, it is now officially the time to light this tree. Are you guys ready to countdown?"
The President then began the countdown and was joined by the crowd in order to commence with the tree lighting. At the end of the countdown, the Obama family lit the tree together by pressing a button which illuminated it with red, white and blue lights as a band played in the background.
According to The Hill, this lighting ceremony dates back to 1923. The first President to initiate the event was President Calvin Coolidge when he lit a 48-foot fir in President’s Park, located just below the White House South Lawn.
The Obama family was welcomed onto the stage by the ceremony's host, actress Eva Longoria. Singers such as Kelly Clarkson, James Taylor, Garth Brooks and Marc Anthony performed at the ceremony.