Obama and family flip switch to light National Christmas Tree under somber

Who will be there: This year’s ceremony will be hosted by actress Reese Witherspoon.

“Happy holidays to Reese and everyone here tonight and everyone watching at home”, the president said before leading the crowd to a countdown that ultimately ended with the famous lighting of the tree. They will be joining Miss Piggy, Fall Out Boy, Tori Kelly, Aloe Blacc, and Crosby, Stills and Nash.

Keep up with the National Christmas Tree on Twitter at @TheNationalTree and follow #NCTL2015 on social media for more information about the event and its history.

President Barack Obama with first lady Michelle Obama, and their daughters Sasha, and Malia, and Michelle’s mother Marian Robinson, after lighting the National Christmas Tree during the National Christmas Tree Lighting ceremony at the Ellipse in Washington, Thursday, Dec. 3, 2015.

WASHINGTON (AP) – President Barack Obama jumpstarted the holiday season Thursday, lighting the National Christmas Tree but also appealing to Americans to “come together as brothers and sisters” one day after 14 people were shot to death in Southern California.

The Rockefeller Center Christmas tree is considered as a symbol of the holidays in New York City, and the annual tree lighting tradition in Manhattan can be dated back to 1933. Celebrating the National Park Service Centennial and setting the stage for the Service’s next 100 years, #FindYourPark invites people to discover and share their own unique connections to our nation’s natural landscapes, vibrant culture, and rich history. Ultimately, she didn’t get it, and settled with just reading the famous poem ‘Twas the Night Before Christmas along with the First Lady.