• President Trump Lights a Diya in Observance of Diwali
    Joyce N. Boghosian
    West Wing
    Roosevelt Room
    Diwali
    In this photograph, taken by Joyce N. Boghosian on November 13, 2018, President Donald Trump participates in a ceremonial diya lighting in the Roosevelt Room during a Diwali celebration at the White House. The White House has observed Diwali since the George W. Bush presidency, though ceremonies were mostly held in the Eisenhower Executive Office Building. In 2009, President Barack Obama became the first president first to light a diya at the White House, during a ceremony in the East Room. Since then, diya lighting ceremonies have been held in various locations in the White House, including the Oval Office and the Roosevelt Room.