How to Request Special Occasion Greetings from the White House

Is your mother's 80th birthday coming up? Or maybe your brother and his wife recently had a baby. Do you and your spouse have a landmark wedding anniversary coming? Is your daughter getting married? You can make these special occasions a little more privileged by contacting the White House about the event. In return, the celebrant(s) of the occasion will receive a greeting card from the White House. All you need to take advantage of this Presidential perk, is a bit of personal information and the details of how to request special occasion greetings from the White House.

For years the White House staffers has sent out official greetings from the current President and the First Lady under seven circumstances: 1. Eightieth Birthday On Up; 2. Birth of a Baby; 3. Fiftieth Wedding Anniversary or Greater; 4. Wedding; 5. Eagle Scout Award; 6. Girl Scout Gold Award and 7. Bar/Bat Mitzvah (or the equivalent).

To receive anniversary or birthday greetings, you should send your request at least six (6) weeks in advance of the actual date. Requests that are made too late aren't honored. (The White House doesn't send belated greetings.) To receive greetings for the birth of a baby, wedding congratulations, or for any of the other occasions, make these requests afterwards.

Note: All greeting recipients must be citizens of the United States.

You can send your request via the U.S. Postal Service to: The White House, Attn: Greetings Office, Washington, D.C. 20502-0039. However, since the events of 9-11, the mail that's sent to the White House is now routed to off-site locations. At these locations, the mail is examined and irradiated for security reasons. Therefore, if you choose this method of notification, be warned that your request will probably take longer than usual to arrive. You can also log onto the Internet and e-mail your request. Or, you can FAX your request to the White House as well. (This is the recommended way to get your request through.) See the Supporting Links Box for the Internet address and the FAX number.