An Inside Look at the White House Holiday Decorations

The First Lady kicked off the holiday season at the White House on Tuesday, unveiling the decorations for the Obama family's last Christmas there.

“As we celebrate my family's last holiday season in the White House, I'm thinking back to when we first came here to Washington,” Michelle Obama said. “We promised to open up this House to as many people from as many backgrounds as possible.”

This year's theme, “The Gift of the Holidays,” celebrates the joy of giving, and also service, friends and family, education, and good health, according to the White House. with special decorations added for military families.

Highlights include the White House Christmas Tree in the Blue Room, a 19-foot-tall Douglas Fir donated from a tree farm in Pennsylvania. There are also 56 different Lego houses that represent each state and territory in the trees throughout the State Dining Room, and the White House Gingerbread House, which features both the East and West Wings and uses 150 pounds of gingerbread on the inside alone.

Only 10 percent of this year’s decorations were new; 90 percent came from repurposed materials and decorations in the White House inventory.