The White House has dubbed today “big block of cheese day,” a tradition that apparently dates back to the days of President Andrew Jackson.
The White House explains,
“On February 22, 1837, President Jackson had a 1,400-pound block of cheese hauled into the main foyer of the White House for an open house with thousands of citizens and his staff, where they discussed the issues of the day while carving off slabs of cheddar.”
Fascinating.
Here's a picture of the historical event:
Now the White House aims “to do even feta.”
“On Wednesday, January 21, in fromage to President Jackson (and to President Bartlet, if you're a fan of The West Wing), we're hosting the second-annual virtual Big Block of Cheese Day, where members of the Obama administration will take to social media to answer your questions about the President's State of the Union address and the issues that are most important to you.”
But there’s no cheese involved. How’s that any better?
Apparently this isn’t the first time the White House held this event. This is its second year in a row.
All you have to do to participate is use the hashtag #AskTheWH on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and Tumblr. Obama administration officials participating range from White House Press Secy. Josh Earnest to Secy. of State John Kerry. You can also expect to see the Deptartment of Education, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the Department of Labor, and others answering your questions on the President's State of the Union address Tuesday night.
Watch their promo video below.