This week, the First Lady of the United States, Melania Trump, officially presented the White House Christmas decorations for 2025. In a social media post, she revealed the chosen theme for this year: “Home is where the heart lives,” a proposal that seeks to uphold the idea of welcome, belonging and affection, regardless of physical location.
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“This Christmas, let’s celebrate the love we carry within us and share it with the world around us,” Melania wrote. According to her, the topic reflects her own experience of constantly moving between countries, cities, and public roles, and the perception that “home is what we carry within us.”
The offer comes amid a major renovation of the presidential complex, which includes demolishing the old east wing and building a new ballroom worth about $200 million. However, the White House maintained its traditional annual makeover.
Patriotic red, white and blue
The 2025 collection embraces an aesthetic that strongly features the colors of the American flag and combines playful elements with direct references to the issues the First Lady champions.
In the Red Room, one of the most symbolic places in the house, a tree containing more than 10,000 blue butterflies dominates the space. The butterflies represent youth and reinforce the main pillar of Strengthening the Future, Melania’s initiative aimed at supporting youth in foster care.
White lace with the words “Promoting the future“Ornaments printed with the slogan ‘Be Best,’ the First Lady’s public campaign, complement the themed tree. The fireplace mantle, in turn, was entirely custom-made for the family’s host community.”
The presence of elements in intense red, a color that characterized one of the most talked-about motifs of the previous Melania administration, appears strongly in other rooms, now intertwined with new symbols and narratives.
The red room
The fun universe invades the White House
One of the more unusual options this year is to use game pieces as part of the decorative concept. Elaborate towers made of playing cards and assembled domino structures were arranged in different rooms, creating small architectural sculptures. The cards appear stacked like small buildings, each decorated with small American flags.
The fun set also includes a LEGO figure of Donald Trump, made up of more than 6,000 pieces, on display in the Green Room. There is also a portrait of George Washington displayed in the same mosaic language. For the first lady’s team, the proposal speaks to the idea of ”building” — family, tradition and country — and reinforces the literal character that Melania typically associates with White House Christmases.
Historical honors and national symbols
In the East Room, decorations commemorate the 250th anniversary of the founding of the United States, which is celebrated in 2026. Banners, decorations and lighting mark the country’s historical trajectory, while themed showcases bring together objects and images of important milestones of independence and national formation.
One detail that caught visitors’ attention was the inclusion of a Christmas version of the image of the attack on Donald Trump, displayed in the grand foyer, now decorated with wreaths and lights.
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Official White House photo by Andrea Hanks/Reproduction
Traditional Gingerbread House 54kg
As happens every year, a traditional White House gingerbread house was installed in the State Dining Room. The 2025 edition weighs more than 54 kilograms and reproduces the details of the presidential building with amazing accuracy. According to the White House, the piece is completely edible, although, as usual, visitors cannot touch it.
White gingerbread house
A past marked by controversy surrounding Christmas
This year’s show commemorates a widely remembered episode from the period when Melania Trump was First Lady for the first time. In 2020, an audio recording released by former adviser Stephanie Winston Wolkoff showed Melania expressing frustration with Christmas duties at the White House, complaining about Christmas chores and saying, “Who cares about Christmas stuff and decorations?”
At the time, the recording generated repercussions and had a lasting impact on public perception of his participation in the ceremonies. Now, with the Trumps returning to the White House, many view the 2025 decoration as a new chapter in the relationship between the First Lady and one of the official residence’s most notable traditions.
Decoration details
Between imitation and self-expression
This year’s decor was designed in partnership with creative director Hervé Pierre, a frequent collaborator of Melania Trump. According to an official statement, the duo worked to translate the joys, challenges and constant movement of life into visual elements.
The result combines national symbols, American cultural references, playful elements, and components of the personal issues championed by the First Lady, forming a mosaic that combines, in its own way, Melania Trump’s public identity with her vision for Christmas 2025 in the White House.
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