It was a tradition to open the White House on that day so the president could wish visitors a happy new year.
VOA: special.2009.10.08
These partnerships shouldn't be entered into lightly, warns Jamie Pedersen, a Washington state rep who pushed the registry and signed up for it with his partner, Eric Pedersen, the first dayit was open in July.
Some visitors use it as a base for hiking or heli-skiing (it's open only for day trips in winter), while many do nothing more strenuous than taking photos or reading on the deck, rousing themselves only for another estimable lunch.