Every year the White House receives a Christmas tree at the end of November, which is traditionally received by the incumbent first lady. Melania Trump fulfilled this task on Monday for the fourth and last time.
When Melania Trump, 50, steps in front of the north portal of the White House, the fuss over the election battle between Donald Trump, 74, and Joe Biden, 77, cannot be seen. In a good mood, well-styled and professional, she welcomes the two men who drove up the tree in a horse-drawn carriage.
Melania Trump rings in Christmas
A military band provides the appropriate Christmas music, plays a medley from "O Christmas Tree", "O Come, All Ye Faithful" and "Hark, the Herald Angels Sing". Smile nice, admire the tree, pose for the photographers, greet the coachman, wave goodbye: after 3 minutes and 29 seconds, Melania has disappeared again.
The first lady takes care of the Christmas tree
The fact that the wife of the US President creates a festive mood goes back to 1929. Since 1961, the US "National Christmas Tree Association" has held a competition every year, the winner of which can deliver a tree to the respective First Lady. In 2020, Dan and Bryan's Tree Farm in West Virginia made it and brought a six-foot-tall Fraser fir to 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue.
In 1961, Jacqueline Kennedy, one of Melania's predecessors, first set a motto for the White House's official Christmas tree. The custom has been preserved to this day. In 2019, Melania decided to theme the White House Christmas decorations "The Spirit of America". What did the first lady come up with this year? Melania started planning in the summer. Soon helpers will take action and decorate the White House. After that, the public is allowed to examine Melania's work one last time.
Sources used: Twitter, CNN.com
This article originally appeared on Gala.de.