For Christmas 2025, the Trumps returned to the White House with a theme centered on “Home Is Where the Heart Is,” aiming for a mix of tradition, sentiment, and a little showmanship. The décor included 51 Christmas trees, 75 wreaths, more than 700 feet of garland, and thousands of lights and ribbons. The Blue Room tree paid tribute to Gold Star families, giving the season a meaningful focal point.
In the Green Room, the standout decorations were the Lego portraits of George Washington and Donald Trump—an unexpected choice. The Red Room featured a display of blue butterflies tied to Melania Trump’s “Fostering the Future” initiative, highlighting youth and foster-care awareness. Meanwhile, the State Dining Room continued the long-running gingerbread tradition, showcasing a detailed White House replica crafted from over 120 pounds of gingerbread and chocolate. The overall effect was festive, polished, and unmistakably Trump.
When the Bidens walked in, the holiday vibe at the White House shifted toward unity, gratitude, and gentle symbolism. For 2021 they chose the theme "Gifts from the Heart" — oversized gift boxes greeted visitors, doves and shooting stars filled the East Colonnade, and a “Gold Star Family” tree honored military families who lost loved ones.
In 2024, their final decorations embraced a theme of goodwill: A Season of Peace and Light. The Blue Room tree — a towering Fraser fir — was surrounded by a merry-go-round of stuffed animals. Snow-like ceiling décor, paper doves, and a gingerbread White House complete with an ice rink on the South Lawn aimed for comfort, nostalgia, and inclusive spirit
When the White House passed under the Trumps for the first time, the holiday decorations turned bold. Themes like "Time-Honored Traditions" and "American Treasures" harked back to heritage and national pride: state-seal ornaments, miniature skylines, and landmark replicas like the Lincoln Memorial or the Washington Monument made frequent appearances. Some critics argued the spectacle overshadowed warmth — the halls felt less like a family home and more like a holiday billboard.
It wasn’t subtle — the State Dining Room saw tables set like stage props, the East Wing corridors turned into themed passageways. Some praised the grandeur, some winced at the showiness. But one thing’s for sure: it made a statement. It told viewers that Christmas at the White House could be flashy, patriotic, and unashamedly loud.
Under the Obamas, holiday décor at 1600 Pennsylvania Ave leaned into symbolism and creativity. The then-First Lady chose themes like “Gather Around: Stories of the Season,” “A Children’s Winter Wonderland,” and “A Timeless Tradition.” The Blue Room tree was often decorated with ornaments made by military children stationed around the world — a nod to service and sacrifice during the holidays. And there was more than trees.
In 2016, for example, the White House featured 56 gingerbread houses, 65,000 ornaments, and over 25,000 yarn pom-poms used to create life-size replicas of the Obamas’ dogs. Bows, ribbons, garlands — the sort of holiday flourish that mixes high effort with personal touches.
When the Bushes took over, the White House holiday décor got a bit more playful and thematic. For example, in 2004 their theme was "A Season of Merriment and Melody" — meaning ornaments, table decorations, and hallway scenes inspired by classic Christmas songs like "Frosty the Snowman” and “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer.” More than 40 trees, snow-covered firs, and glowing white lights turned the Cross Hall and State Floor into a kind of winter musical fantasy.
In other years, the themes shifted: there was “All Creatures Great and Small,” celebrating birds of each state, and later “Holiday in the National Parks,” with ornaments representing parks, monuments, and historic sites across America. The effect? The White House felt more public-spirited under the Bushes — holiday décor that seemed to invite outsiders in, honor all states, and treat the mansion as a national house.
During the Clinton years, White House Christmas décor played up warmth, tradition, and a touch of homey charm. The official Blue Room tree was a centerpiece, often decorated with handcrafted, nostalgic ornaments: fabric snowmen, knitted mittens, hats, and painted wooden ornaments — essentially a cozy “Winter Wonderland” style. First Lady Hillary Rodham Clinton opened those holiday tours with a spirit that merged festive cheer and family warmth. She even welcomed media previews alongside garlands and wreaths draped over columns, showing that the White House could feel as much like a living parlor as an official residence
Over the years, the décor under Clinton stayed relatively traditional — no overt themes like “national landmarks” or “holiday music.” But that simplicity in itself had charm: soft lights, classic ornaments, a sense of old-fashioned Christmas. I like to think of it as “Christmas with the curtains drawn” — intimate, inviting, and unpretentious.
