Melania's White House Holiday Decorations Are Up

Melania Trump unveiled the holiday decor over the weekend

For the third year in a row, first lady Melania Trump released the first photos of the White House decorated for Christmas. This year’s theme is “The Spirit of America.” One can only imagine she’s got her finger on the pulse of what that means for the country at this juncture.

“This Christmas season I want to honor those who have shaped our country and made it the place we are proud to call home,” she said in a White House press release. Her official Twitter page also released a video showcasing several of the rooms she’s decorated. The theme, Mrs. Trump says, is a “tribute to the traditions, customs, and history that make our Nation great. The decorations celebrate the courageous individuals who have shaped our country and kept the American spirit alive,” which means there are likely none dedicated to her husband.

The decor appears similar to last year’s theme of “American Treasures,” which the first lady said honored the “heart and spirit of the American people.” The 2018 decor included 40 blood red Christmas trees, which delivered as many punchlines and snarky comments as it seems this year’s decorations are receiving.

https://twitter.com/jetpack/status/1201353898465923073

https://twitter.com/jetpack/status/1201411097237962752

The first lady shared pictures of the East Wing which holds the Gold Star Family tree, which was decorated by survivors of military service members who have lost their lives fighting in American wars. They are known as Gold Star families.

The East Colonnade features white stars hanging from the ceiling and silhouettes of U.S. landmarks which they’ve deemed “American design, innovation and architecture,” looking as empty and cold as I’d imagine living there feels. Anyone else getting The Shining vibes?

In the Grand Foyer, there are several trees decorated with gold trimmings, white lights, and topiaries, urns, and fake snow covering parts of the floor.

The State Dining Room also features a gingerbread replica of the White House surrounded by more U.S. landmarks, including the Golden Gate Bridge and the Statue of Liberty, which is nothing if not ironic.

The White House pastry team also created a Scrabble board using 200 pounds of gingerbread dough, 125 pounds of pastillage dough, 35 pounds of chocolate, and 25 pounds of icing. “The Red Room, decorated with games galore, ignites the childlike spirit we all have at this time of year,” the White House said in a statement. The board features words like “caring,” “kind,” and “inspire,” which is a bit of a head-scratcher if you read these next to any one of her husband’s incessant, vitriol-filled daily tweets.

The official White House Christmas tree was delivered on Nov. 25 from Mahantongo Valley Farms in Pitman, Pennsylvania. “At 18 feet tall, the official White House Christmas is blossoming with handmade paper flowers that pays homage to the distinctive floral emblem of each state and territory, on display inside the Blue Room,” the White House wrote.

More than 30,000 guests are expected to visit to see the decorations and take tours of the White House during the holidays.