The White House has reopened for public tours to showcase the 2025 Christmas decorations created by first lady Melania Trump, marking the first full display of her designs since 2020. The holiday displays are a long-running first lady tradition where each spouse sets a theme and a tone. This article traces those recent themes, the reactions they drew, and how the tradition stretches back to Jackie Kennedy and beyond.
In 2017, Melania Trump introduced a theme called “time honored traditions” that leaned into classic holiday motifs and national pride. Her rooms favored a stately, reserved look that some praised as elegant and others criticized as stark. House Beautiful even said she used “a terrifying amount of white,” a line that stuck and framed a lot of the early coverage.
Melania returned in 2018 with “American treasures,” a theme that explicitly celebrated national history and craftsmanship. Highlights included a gingerbread interpretation of the National Mall and a Fraser fir in the Blue Room trimmed with state ribbons. The East Colonnade featured bold red trees while the Green Room showcased American folk art woven into the holiday tableau.
FIRST LADY MELANIA TRUMP DECORATES THE WHITE HOUSE FOR CHRISTMAS: ‘HOME IS WHERE THE HEART IS’ captured the attention of commentators who saw her work as closely aligned with the administration’s messaging. In 2019 the theme shifted to “The Spirit of America,” with trees adorned using state flowers and symbols, and a tribute to U.S. military families. One tree honored Gold Star families, and gingerbread houses were modeled after famous American landmarks to tie the rooms together.
MELANIA TRUMP UNVEILS WHITE HOUSE CHRISTMAS DECORATIONS, THEME FOR 2020 marked the last full-year showcase before the pandemic reshaped public life. The “America the Beautiful” theme leaned into patriotic touches—gold eagles, mini model trains in the State Dining Room, and gingerbread versions of national parks. Her displays often referenced the “Be Best” initiative through charitable elements like support for foster children connected to holiday programming.
When the Biden family took over the decorating duties, Jill Biden presented “Gifts from the Heart” in 2021, a theme designed amid the lingering effects of the pandemic. That concept emphasized unity and service with book-shaped ornaments to celebrate learning and military medallions to honor service. White doves and stars were used to convey hope, faith and the idea of giving that the administration wanted to underscore.
In 2022 the theme became “We the People,” an overt nod to civic unity and democratic values with gold doves and olive branches woven through the decor. Trees and ornaments included representations of local landmarks from all 50 states to signal inclusivity. The approach was interpretive and intended to reflect a nationwide patchwork rather than a single visual statement.
For 2023, the Biden theme was “The Magic, Wonder, and Joy of the Holidays,” which leaned into childlike imagination with oversized toy trains, nutcrackers and whimsical characters. A White House video featuring dancers moving through the decorated rooms drew criticism and commentary, showing how even festive displays become cultural flashpoints. The public reaction illustrated how holiday decor now serves as both pageantry and political messaging.
Last year, 2024, first lady Biden chose “A Season of Peace and Light,” deploying crystal orbs in the East Colonnade to represent “light in darkness.” Trees in the Blue Room were trimmed with paper stars and symbols of peace and wrapped in white and gold garlands to create a softer, luminous palette. The motif aimed to reassure and uplift following several turbulent years.
The practice of a themed White House tree began with Jackie Kennedy in 1961, when she selected the “Nutcracker” theme and enlisted volunteers to craft ornaments. Yet decorating the executive residence long predates themed trees; first families used greens and Christmas trees for generations. The White House Historical Association records the first known decorated tree in 1889, placed in the Oval Room and lit with candles, showing how the holiday tradition has evolved into a national spectacle.
