First Lady Michelle Obama and her design team have been preparing for months to make the White House a sparkling Christmas with thousands of colorful ribbons, large pine trees and realistic gingerbread models.
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| First Lady Michelle Obama yesterday invited US military families to the White House to see the Christmas decorations this year. This is the last Christmas before President Obama ends his term in January next year. "As we celebrate our family's last holiday season in the White House, I think back to when we first came to Washington and we promised to open this house to as many people from as many backgrounds as possible. We really want to make the White House a home for everyone, especially during these holidays," she said. Photo: AP. |
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| More than 7,500 colorful ribbons are strung along the East Hallway of the White House. The theme of the Christmas decorations is “The Gift of the Holidays,” which represents the joy of giving and receiving, along with gifts of friends, family, education and health. Photo: AP. |
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| The highlight of this Christmas season is the 56 gingerbread houses made from Lego pieces. Each house represents a US state and territory, placed around two pine trees in the State Banquet Room. Photo: MediaPunch. |
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| The White House model is made from 68 kg of gingerbread on the inside, 45 kg of flour on the outside, 9 kg of binder, icing and sugar. The tradition of making the White House from gingerbread dates back to the 1970s and has been placed in the State Dining Room since the Nixon administration. Photo: Reuters. |
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| The official White House Christmas tree is located in the Blue Room, where the president welcomes guests as heads of state. The nearly 50-foot-tall tree was grown at the Whispering Pines Tree Farm in Wisconsin and was donated to the White House by the National Christmas Tree Association, a tradition that has existed since 1966. Photo: AFP. |
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| Christmas cards from previous presidents are displayed in the building's bookstore area, under three laurel wreaths. Photo: AP. |
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| The East Wing hallway is decorated with green branches and red and yellow balloons in a traditional way. Photo: AP. |
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| Two rows of snowmen along the White House Central Corridor. Photo: AFP. |
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| Large red ribbons tied with bows outside the East Wing make the doors look like giant gift boxes. Photo: AP. |
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| In the Golden Room, in addition to three sparkling Christmas trees, there are also ballet slippers and pearls displayed in glass jars. Photo: AP. |
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| A hallway with pictures of former US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton is decorated with funny snowmen. Photo: Reuters. |
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| The East Room of the White House, where events such as press conferences usually take place, is more splendid than usual. Photo: AP. |
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| Children of US military personnel learn to make Christmas dishes with the chef while the first lady brings her two dogs Bo and Sunny by her side. More than 68,000 people will visit the White House this Christmas. Mrs. Michelle said she has welcomed more than half a million visitors during the holidays in the past eight years. Photo: AP. |
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| The North Lobby of the White House also has two large Christmas trees near the entrance. All of the elaborate decorations were prepared by a team of designers and Mrs. Michelle six months ago. The late First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy started the tradition of decorating the White House for Christmas by American First Ladies in 1961. Photo: AP. |
According to VNE
