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Melania’s Christmas Decorations Are Up, And There Are Blood Red Trees and ‘Be Best’ Ornaments

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Melania Trump unveiled the White House’s Christmas theme this year as “American Treasures,” while her video of the decorations revealed a strong presence for her “Be Best” campaign in the form of various ornaments.

The 57-second video the first lady tweeted opens with an “American Treasures Christmas at the White House” banner and shows her walking through the halls decked out with red holiday trees and ornaments featuring United States icons like the Golden Gate Bridge and Seattle Space Needle. About midway through, an ornament appears with the logo of her Be Best campaign aimed at helping children and fighting cyberbullying. It is followed by a festive arrangement of “Be Best” pencils.

“This is a joyous time of year when we decorate the White House for the Christmas Season,” Trump said in a statement. “Our theme honors the heart and spirit of the American people. Thank you to the many volunteers and staff who worked hard to decorate the halls of the People’s House in Christmas cheer. On behalf of my family, we wish everyone a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.”

The American Treasures theme, according to the release, “honors the unique heritage of America. Designed by First Lady Melania Trump, the White House shines with the spirit of patriotism. This home, held in trust for all Americans, displays the many splendors found across our great Nation.”

Like last year, the East Wing has the Gold Star Family tree recognizing American troops and their families. The China Room features state dinner pieces from different eras. The East Room highlights the skylines of New York City, San Francisco and other major cities. The Green Room showcases the country’s harvest.

Trump has introduced a number of new elements to the White House Christmas decorations this year. The Be Best material is part of that, as ABC News chief White House correspondent Jonathan Karl noted on Twitter. He also mentioned the hall of red Christmas trees, as shown in the photos and the video, and AP White House reporter Darlene Superville tweeted that a wreath on every window of the White House was a new tradition the first lady had introduced.

One thing is definitely a carryover from the 2017 White House Christmas celebrations. As The Washington Post described in 2017, Trump’s White House Christmas really emphasized Christmas itself, rather than the holiday season more generally, like Michelle Obama’s celebrations had. Apart from one tweet in which she referred to “Christmas and the holiday season,” Melania Trump has made it very clear that the White House holiday celebration is specifically all about Christmas.

Twitter had some thoughts:

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