The White House is looking merry and bright! First Lady Melania Trump kicked off the month of December by unveiling this year's Christmas decorations on Monday, December 1. The inspiration for the 2025 theme, "Home Is Where The Heart Is," was "drawn from the joys, challenges, and frequent motion derived from motherhood and business," according to the Office of the First Lady.
"The constant movement has taught me that home is not merely a physical space; rather, it is the warmth and comfort I carry within, regardless of my surroundings,” Mrs. Trump said in a statement. "This Christmas, let’s celebrate the love we hold within ourselves, and share it with the world around us. After all, wherever we are, we can create a home filled with grace, radiance, and endless possibilities."
© Roberto Schmidt/Getty ImagesHELLO! understands that the first lady, who returned to the White House on Sunday night, was working late that evening on the State Floor of the White House, making last-minute updates to the decorations.
This holiday season marks the Trumps' first back at the White House since President Donald Trump returned to office.
"It's just wonderful to be back. Decorating, bringing unique touches. It's the first time Gold Star Families are honored with the tree at the heart of the White House and the Blue Room in this way. Having the retrospect of not just the past couple months, but the past eight years, nine years now, with all the work that the first lady has done on Fostering the Future since she left in the first term and coming back, to be able to feature that in the Red Room and all the stories of youth who have experienced foster care that have fed into that, is really special."
The White House's 2025 decorations include 75 wreaths with red bows on the windows of the People's House, along with more than 50 Christmas trees, 700 feet of garland, 25,000 feet of ribbon and 10,000 butterflies filling the halls. In the White House's Blue Room stands the official White House Christmas tree from Sidney, Michigan, which the first lady welcomed last week.
Inside The White House's
Christmas decorations
The Blue Room
The Red Room
The East Room
The Green Room
The 2025 White House Christmas theme is "Home Is Where The Heart Is"
The 2025 Gingerbread House is on display in the State Dining Room
The tree in the Blue Room is a tribute to Gold Star Families across America. "Military members can be across the country, they can be around the world, but wherever they call home is important because that's where their heart is, and whether it's here or there, that's important, and we want to honor their sacrifice with the tree," the spokesperson shared with HELLO!.
The 18-foot evergreen is decorated with gold stars as well as "AI-generated, 3D printed ornaments" that represent the official bird and flower of every U.S. state and territory. It's described as "a tribute to the resilience, bravery, and sacrifice of our military personnel and their families."
© Anna Moneymaker/Getty ImagesMeanwhile, the White House's Red Room is centered around Fostering the Future, which is a Be Best initiative. The ornaments on the Red Room's tree were all hand-painted with Be Best Logos. The Christmas tree also features Fostering the Future ribbon and blue butterflies that, HELLO! was informed, are "symbolic of the transformative nature of adulthood, coming from a child to adult throughout your journey in life, especially foster youth who've experienced foster care, and kind of all the possibilities there are for them with their futures, and everything that Fostering the Future has tried to do to support them through that journey, and it's an important journey because these are people who are important members of society and will become not just independent, but find a sense of belonging and their own home one day."
The first lady appointed designer Hervé Pierre to "oversee the implementation of her creative vision" in the room.
For the East Room, the Office of the First Lady partnered with America 250, whose logo is featured on the tree boxes of each red, white and blue-decorated Christmas tree. Over in the Green Room are two presidential portraits, one of George Washington and President Trump, that were created from over 6,000 puzzle pieces.
The White House decorations this year are said to "serve as a reminder that the strength of our Nation is found in its people—in our shared values, valued traditions, and the steadfast belief that home is where the heart is."
The 2025 decorations have been months in the making. The first lady's office revealed back in August that Christmas planning was underway. It's "a lot of time and energy" by the Social Secretary's Office and the first lady, the spokesperson said, noting that the president's wife "curates and designs and oversees every detail, along with Hervé Pierre."
The past week has been a busy one for the first lady. Last Monday, Mrs. Trump received the official White House Christmas tree and the next day, joined her husband in the Rose Garden for the White House turkey pardon ceremony. The morning after returning to D.C. following the Thanksgiving weekend, the first lady revealed this year's Christmas decorations and later attended the American Red Cross holiday care package event at Joint Base Andrews with Second Lady Usha Vance. On December 4, the first lady is set to attend the 2025 National Christmas Tree Lighting ceremony.
