"Happy Birthday" Wishes For The President

It has been reported that 1.2+ million people signed President Obama's online greeting card commemorating his 49th birthday on August 4th!

Did you know that you can also receive greetings from the president? The White House will send greeting cards signed by the President of the United States to commemorate accomplishments, milestones, or special events free of charge to U.S. citizens. To request a greeting card from the President, just follow these guidelines from the White House Greetings Office.

U.S. Citizens Only: The White House will send greetings to United States citizens only, for special occasions as outlined below.

Advance Notice Required! Your request should be received at least six (6) weeks in advance of the event date. Greetings are generally not sent after the event date, except for wedding congratulations and newborn acknowledgments.

Submitting Requests: Requests may be submitted through the office of one of the U.S. Senators from your state. Requests can also be mailed to: White House, 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, Washington, D.C. 20502. Requests can also be faxed to 202-456-2461.

Anniversary Greetings: Anniversary greetings will be sent to couples who are celebrating a 50th, 60th, 70th, or later wedding anniversary.

Birthday Greetings: Birthday greetings will only be sent to people turning 80 years old or older or veterans turning 70 years old or older.

Other Greetings: A limited number of special occasions other than birthdays and anniversaries exist for which the Greetings Office will send appropriate recognition to United States citizens. These occasions include important life events such as:

* Baby's birth or adoption of a child

* Bar/Bat Mitzvah, Ordination, or equivalent religious occasion

* Girl Scout Gold Award

* Eagle Scout Award

* Retirement after at least 30 years on the same job

* Wedding: Send your request after the event

Please include the following required information in your reqeust:

- name and home address of honoree(s)
- form of address (Mr., Ms., Mrs., Dr., Miss, etc.)
- exact date of occasion (month, day, year)
- age for birthdays or number of years for marriage
- your (the requestor's) name and daytime phone number
- any other specific mailing instructions, if necessary
- Wedding: Include the couple's married name and current or new address

Update: The White House Greetings Office is swamped!

Since the announcement for greetings from the president was originally made in 2009, the response has been overwhelming and the Greetings Office has been informing citizens requesting greeting cards of the following: It is currently taking several months for the requests to reach the Greetings Office and to be mailed out. Because of this, they are no longer able to "guarantee" the on-time arrival of greeting cards, but they do promise that you will receive them. So, please send your requests in a time-sensitive manner that will ensure as much advance notice as possible.