The theme of this year’s White House Christmas is “Reflect, rejoice, and renew” and it’s reflected in the refurbished ornaments festooned on the 18-foot tall White House Christmas tree.
First Lady Michelle Obama introduced the holiday decorations, which were inspired by the White House’s “residential, warm atmosphere,” her office said.
The 800 ornaments on display throughout the house and on the Christmas tree are from past administrations. They were sent out to communities to be personalized – with decopage and beading to reflect local landmarks and flavor.
The first lady said her favorite depicted Chicago’s Lincoln Park zoo. The decorations included “natural materials” such as flowers, berries and dried roots from the White House kitchen garden.
Obama also announced a new “Feed a neighbor” initiative via Serve.gov to help fight hunger across the country.
The program would allow citizens to volunteer to help homebound seniors and start community gardens.
Obama encouraged giving to Toys for Tots and said she would personally deliver the toys collected at the White House to Quantico later this month.
She thanked the volunteers who put in more than 3,000 hours to flock the home, saying their work “has really transformed the White House.” She noted that more than 50,000 visitors would take tours this season.
