Skip to main content

White House Christmas 2019: 'Spirit of America'

Share This article

WASHINGTON – The White House was in the holiday spirit as an old fashioned horse-drawn carriage rolled up to deliver the official Christmas tree.

The 18-and-a-half foot Douglas Fir traveled from Pennsylvania to Washington, DC. The tree later became the centerpiece of the Blue Room.

First Lady Melania Trump decorated it with floral emblems from every US state and territory. She unveiled this year's theme: Spirit of America, adding she's "delighted to share this beautiful exhibit of patriotism for all to see."

CBN News got a sneak peek at this year's decor, which features 58 Christmas trees, 15,000 bows, and more than 2,500 strands of lights. 

The grand foyer and cross halls are decorated as a winter garden. The East Room is styled with four star-spangled trees topped with eagles. The First Lady's "Be Best" campaign even made it on a tree as an ornament made out of Scrabble pieces.

Also inside the White House is a small version of the people's house, but built out of gingerbread. 200 pounds of dough, 35 pounds of chocolate, along with 25 pounds of icing were used to create the South Portico and American landmarks. It's the last piece of this year's White House Christmas makeover.

Just like Santa, the First Lady had a team of helpers as more than 200 volunteers pitched in to hang lights, ornaments, and get this place ready for Christmas.

Share This article

About The Author

Ben
Kennedy

Ben Kennedy is an Emmy Award-winning White House correspondent for CBN News in Washington, D.C. He has more than a decade of reporting experience covering breaking news nationwide. He's traveled cross country covering the President and scored exclusive interviews with lawmakers and White House officials. Kennedy spent seven years reporting for WPLG, the ABC affiliate in Miami, Florida. While there he reported live from Kingston, Jamaica, as Hurricane Matthew hit the island. He was the first journalist to interview Diana Nyad moments after her historic swim from Cuba to Key West. He reported