Given the daily responsibilities of the president of the United States, it’s remarkable that they can shift from high-stakes meetings in the Situation Room to greeting children in costumes at the South Portico for Halloween. It’s a reminder that the White House is both an office and home to the president – balancing the weight of national security with the delight of lighter, family-friendly traditions. Presidents must do it all!

Each Halloween, this festive event provides a lighter touch to the otherwise serious atmosphere of the White House. The holiday, originally brought to the United States by European immigrants in the 19th century, didn’t make its mark at the White House until 1958.

First lady Mamie Eisenhower introduced the first formal Halloween decorations when she filled the State Dining Room with jack-o’-lanterns and hung skeletons from the lights. She added witches’ heads and black cats to the foyer chandeliers, setting a playful tone that would become a cherished tradition.

It was President John F. Kennedy and first lady Jacqueline Kennedy who brought trick-or-treating to the White House for their young........

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