White House’s New Holiday Decorations

By: Miriam Edelman

First Lady Melania Trump (FLOTUS) recently revealed her new White House holidays display. This year’s theme, “Home Is Where the Heart Is,” shows the U.S.’s “generosity, patriotism, and unity.” According to the White House, FLOTUS selected each detail.

FLOTUS completed the First Lady’s duty of overseeing the White House’s annual Christmas decoration. In 1961, First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy started the tradition of choosing the official White House Christmas tree’s theme. Her first theme was “Nutcracker Suite.” She also initiated placing the White House’s main tree in the Blue Room.

Throughout the decades, the White House’s holiday decorations evolved. When Jimmy Carter was President, the first gingerbread White House was created. A gingerbread house is now a common occurrence. In 1979, Carter was the first President to light a menorah. In 2001, President George W. Bush was the first President to have an official White House Hanukkah party. In 2022, a Hannukah menorah became part of the White House’s permanent collection for the first time. Celebrations for Hanukkah and Kwanzaa also have occurred at the White House.

 On X on December 1, 2025, FLOTUS posted:

“Home Is Where the Heart Is

AMERICA’S CHRISTMAS

This Christmas, let’s celebrate the love we hold within ourselves and share it with the world around us. After all, wherever we are, we can create a home filled with endless possibilities.”

The post included a video of FLOTUS and the holiday display.

FLOTUS’s decorations also include 51 trees, 75 wreaths, “more than 700 feet (213 meters) of garland, more than 2,000 strands of lights, over 25,000 feet (7,620 meters) of ribbon, over 2,800 gold stars, more than 10,000 butterflies and 120 pounds (54 kilograms) of gingerbread.” The display also includes ornaments and other decorations with FLOTUS’s “Be Best” slogan; at least 10,000 blue butterflies; and Lego portraits of Presidents George Washington and Donald Trump. A White House employee confirmed that there is not a Menorah. 

Some decorations relate to the U.S.’s upcoming 250^th birthday. As this year’s White House holiday booklet said:

“This holiday season, it [the East Room] shines in red, white, and blue to celebrate the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence and the birth of our Nation. Patriotic trees stand tall, crowned with golden eagles and adorned with stars, roses, and oak leaves—emblems of courage, freedom, unity, and enduring strength. From each mirror hang wreaths inspired by the Great Seal, a tribute to ingenuity, resilience, and shared purpose that have shaped our home—the United States of America.”

The focus on the U.S.’s 250^th anniversary coincides with actions of the Trump Administration. On January 29, 2025, in a presidential action, entitled “Celebrating America’s 250th Birthday,” Donald Trump created the White House Task Force on Celebrating America’s 250th Birthday. America250.org’s website includes, “Under the President’s leadership, the Salute to America 250 Task Force (“Task Force 250”) has commenced the planning of a full year of festivities to officially launch on Memorial Day, 2025 and continue through July 4th, 2026.” The America250 page of the White House’s website says:

“On July 4, 2026, America will celebrate the most important milestone in our country’s history—250 years of American Independence. “With a single sheet of parchment and 56 signatures, America began the greatest political journey in human history,” said President Trump of this momentous anniversary.”

This year’s White House holidays tours are different than tours of the past years because President Donald Trump destroyed the East Wing of the White House. DCNOW’s blog piece, entitled “The East Wing of the White House No Longer Exists,” is about the end of the East Wing. The demolition of the East Wing may explain why there are just 51 trees, compared to 83 trees last year. Instead of the East Wing having a tree honoring Gold Star families, the official White House Christmas tree that is in the Blue Room honors those people who lost individuals who were in active-duty military service. Instead of entering the White House through the East Wing, visitors enter through North Portico doors. In addition, they go on a shorter tour, which consists of just the State Floor.

On the subject of this year’s 51 trees, the District of Columbia should become the nation’s 51^st state. The United States became a country after colonists experienced taxation without representation. Yet, centuries later, it subjects residents of its own capital to this same anti-democracy practice. Enough is enough.