First Lady Michelle Obama welcomed dozens of military children and their families, along with the press, to the White House on Wednesday for a first look at the historic house’s unparalleled holiday decorations.
Guests were treated to a winter wonderland experience that was installed by world-famous designers and a sleigh full of volunteers from around the country. The 2015 holiday theme, A Timeless Tradition, is evident throughout the house’s 62 Christmas trees and their adorning 70,000 ornaments.
Outside the East Wing entrance are painted lifesize wooden penguins to welcome visitors. Once inside, guests will see thousands of colorful ornaments glued together in structures that adorn doorframes and chandeliers throughout the space. Through the hallway, countless snowflakes that have been cut out by children across the nation hang above guests’ heads from the ceiling while 56 snowmen and snowwomen (one for each state and territory) look in on spectators from outside in the First Lady’s garden. The festive decor continues upstairs in the parlor, dining and ball rooms.
Although the tradition of decking the White House dates back 85 years, it began on a much smaller scale.
“Lou Hoover is the first first lady that decorated an official public White House Christmas tree in 1929, but it’s not until 1961 when we see the themes and the motifs come through in first ladies’ Christmas decorations with Jacqueline Kennedy as she chose a nutcracker theme,” expert on the lives of the first ladies, Andrew Och, told the Washington Examiner.
The cherished tradition has grown significantly since its simple start in 1929 with one tree. This year, 68,000 guests are expected to pass through the White House and the festivities inside should not disappoint.
