Holiday festivities have officially begun at the White House. Yesterday, First Lady Melania Trump greeted the arrival of the Christmas tree that will decorate the presidential residence for the 2025 season. Melania was at the entrance of the home, receiving an 18-foot concolor fir on Monday. Within days, the fir will become the centerpiece of this year's White House holiday decor, an arrangement that has been for years under the direction of the First Lady.
From the White House’s North Portico, the First Lady welcomed this majestic tree, which comes from Korson’s Tree Farms in Sidney, Michigan. In the history of the pines that adorn the sitting president’s home, this tree stands out for being the first in 40 years to be grown in that state.
As is tradition, the arrival of the fir took place with a tradition that welcomes the holiday spirit to the area, with it being carried aboard a large horse-drawn wagon led by riders. Some onlookers applauded as they admired the tree, which will ultimately be placed in the Blue Room of the White House.
Smiling, Melania watched the tree before it was unloaded and then posed in front of it for some photos.
For the festive occasion, Melania wore a long white coat-dress with wide three-quarter sleeves. To complete the holiday-themed look, she paired her outfit with burgundy gloves and matching tartan-patterned heels.
This year's official turkey pardon
This holiday season marks the first of Donald Trump's second presidential term. As the White House prepares for Thanksgiving, taking place this Thursday, November 28, its staff is also preparing for Christmas and the holidays, hosting various events over the course of the season.
Earlier today, the White House hosted its traditional turkey pardon in the Rose Garden, sparing two birds from the butcher, named Gobble and Waddle.
According to NBC News, the birds were raised in a small farm in Wayne County, North Carolina, and will live the rest of their lives in North Carolina State University’s Prestage Department of Poultry Science.
The Turkey Pardon is a ceremony that dates back to the 1940s, when Tad Lincoln asked his dad to spare a turkey named Jack from becoming a holiday meal. President Abraham Lincoln listened to his son and gave the first presidential turkey pardon. While turkey pardons have recurred over the years, it became an official White House tradition in 1989, when George H. W. Bush was President.