6. On the evening of the second day, a state dinner is held at the White House with the visiting head of state as the guest of honor
In the evening of the same day, a formal state dinner is held at the White House in honor of the distinguished guest. As noted previously, the dress code for state dinners has traditionally been white tie, but recent years has seen a relaxing of these rigid rules. Visiting heads of state are permitted to wear national dress instead of Western evening dress, whilst leaders of socialist countries, notably Soviet Premier Nikita Khrushchev and Chinese President Hu Jintao, symbolically refused to wear formal evening dress. Involving approximately 120-150 individuals, with many of the seats predetermined by status, only a handful of invitations are sent out to non-official persons.
The dinner is traditionally held in the State Dining Room, with the adjoining Red Room available in the event of overflow and a requirement for additional seating capacity. If the weather is permitting, then state dinners are also sometimes held outdoors in the White House gardens. This unusual locale was used during state dinners in honor of West German Chancellor Ludwig Erhard in 1964 and Elizabeth II in 1976. Guests are seated at ten-person round-tables, the traditional number for a formal dinner. The use of round tables, as opposed to banquet tables, was initiated by First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy, who wished for all of her guests to be able to converse with one another more easily.
