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By Peter Koudounas
Each year at Christmas time, the White House is decorated by the current First Lady with Christmas lights, trees, and additional decorations, giving a holiday theme to the White House each year! The tradition of decorating the White House during the holiday season began under President Benjamin Harrison in 1889, when Harrison’s tree was decorated with candles, toys, and nuts in the White House for his grandchildren to enjoy. However, First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy advanced the holiday decorating by introducing themed tree decorations publicly in 1961. Kennedy’s contributions to the holiday decorations were significantly impactful, as decorating the White House became a common tradition for First Ladies with different themes each year!
Over the years since the tradition started, the White House has been seen with wonderfully decorated trees on multiple occasions. Although no specific year has been titled “best,” there are some specific years that are frequently mentioned regarding top-tier decorating at the White House. Here are some of my favorites, personally:
#1- Nancy Reagan in 1982- Simply titled “Christmas at the White House,” Reagan brought classic white and gold decorations to the White House, with a mix of real and handmade ornaments. Ribbon was hung throughout the trees, and the White House looked very special that year. While nothing “stood out” about the decorations, the White House looked very nicely decorated and showed the magic of the White House at Christmas time.
#2- Hilary Clinton in 1993- Titled “The Year of the American Craft,” Clinton decorated an 18 ½ foot tree with a mix of “oversized” angel ornaments, handmade ornaments, and other nicely produced ornaments to create a very nice Christmas tree! Additionally, the tree was also decorated with garland, and was another special Christmas tree at the White House!
#3- Laura Bush in 2001- Titled “Home for the Holidays,” this year was a bit special as 9/11 had recently occurred and emphasized the importance of being with friends and family still with us during the holiday season. Ornaments were silver icicles and bright white bulbs, but it is still remembered for the strong, symbolic theme sent throughout a national tragedy, among the likes of 9/11.
#4- Michelle Obama in 2009- Lastly, titled “Reflect, Rejoice, Renew,” the Obamas' first year in the White House saw Michelle take part in a nontraditional Christmas color palette. While hints of gold, all colors of the rainbow were found inside the tree on ornaments or other props. While different from other trees in the past, this year stood out and had a peaceful and hopeful meaning for all Americans.
This year, Melania Trump took part in the “Home is where the heart is” theme, decorating with extensive red bows, garland, and white ornaments to turn the White House into one of the most beautifully decorated White Houses we’ve seen. Whether you support some presidents or not, most First Ladies have a good track record of decorating the White House at Christmas time!
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