New Year's Day

  New Year's Day became a Federal Holdiay in 1870   On January 1, 1801, the first public reception was held in the President's House, and a democratic social custom began. From 1801 until its end in 1932, the New Year's Reception at the White House was a tradition met with anticipation by diplomats, government officials, military officers, and the public alike. Everyone from the common citizen to the highest-ranking diplomat was welcomed. By the early 20th century, crowds swelled to more than 6,000, and a line on the sidewalk outside the White House snaked out beyond the gates and around the block bordering the old State, War, and Navy building (now known as the Eisenhower Executive Office Building).