WASHINGTON (NewsNation) — An 18.5-foot Fraser fir — which survived a hurricane to earn an honored home for Christmas — arrived at the White House on Monday on board a horse-drawn carriage greeted by first lady Jill Biden.
“In just a few days, volunteers from all over the country will pour in to transform this tree and the entire White House,” Biden said during her brief remarks. “And out of the whirlwind of glitter and garlands will come the warmth and comfort of the season.”
The first lady invited military-connected families to join her at the North Portico as she embarked on her final turn of decking the White House halls for the holiday season before President-elect Donald Trump takes office in January.
The military band played a classical Christmas medley as the two Clydesdale horses trotted up the driveway.
This year’s official White House tree hails from Avery County, North Carolina, a community ravaged by Hurricane Helene in September. Helene was one of the deadliest storms to strike the U.S. in nearly two decades. At least 220 people were killed.
The remnants of Hurricane Helene felled thousands of trees at the Cartner Christmas Tree Farm in Newland, the 2024 grand champion of the National Christmas Tree Association contest, which has provided the official White House tree since 1966. But many of its trees did survive, including the 18.5-foot tall Fraser fir that was planted 25 years ago.
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“This one remained standing, and they named it ‘tree-mendous’ for the extraordinary hope that it represents,” the first lady noted.
The Fraser fir will be the focal point of the famous Blue Room in the White House, standing floor to ceiling with the room’s chandelier removed to accommodate the tree’s full height.
The arrival of the Christmas tree came just hours after President Joe Biden pardoned two turkeys from Minnesota — “Peach” and “Blossom” — in another time-honored tradition at the White House. The Bidens will continue spreading the holiday spirit Monday evening by hosting a dinner with service members and their families in Staten Island, New York. The event is part of the first lady’s Joining Forces initiative, a program supporting military families.
“My wife, Jill, and I will travel to Staten Island, New York, for a Friendsgiving with members of the Coast Guard and their families to demonstrate our gratitude for their service and sacrifice, like my son,” President Biden said at the turkey pardoning ceremony Monday, referencing his son Beau Biden’s service. Beau Biden was a major in the Delaware Army National Guard and deployed to Iraq in 2008. He died of brain cancer in 2015.
“We’ll have an empty seat at the Thanksgiving dinner table,” President Biden added. “May we use this moment to take time from our busy lives and focus on what matters most: our families.”
