Melania unveils extravagant White House Christmas decorations

news.com.au

26 Nov, 2018 08:46 PM3 mins to read

First Lady Melania Trump personally designed the White House Christmas decorations. Photo / White House

Feast your eyes on the 2018 White House Christmas decorations, personally designed by the First Lady herself.

Melania Trump has reportedly been working on this year's festive game plan since August, opting to run with the patriotic theme "American Treasures" recognising the country's "unique heritage."

Christmas has arrived at the White House. First lady Melania Trump unveiled the spectacular decorations today. Photo / AP

"This is a joyous time of year when we decorate the White House for the Christmas season," she said in a statement of the Trump family's second Christmas at the White House.

"Our theme honours 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 official White House Christmas tree is seen in the Blue Room. The tree is 5.5m tall and is dressed in over 152m of blue velvet ribbon embroidered in gold with each State and territory. Photo / AP

This year's extraordinary display at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue features more than 14,000 red ornaments hanging from 29 towering red trees in the Grand Foyer and Cross Hall, which represent patriotism.

"The choice of red is an extension of the pales, or stripes, found in the presidential seal designed by our Founding Fathers," the White House explained. "It's a symbol of valour and bravery."

The Red Room, with the theme to celebrate America's Children. Photo / AP

In the Green Room, a tree decorated with fruits, vegetables and grains represents America's "bounty and harvest," according to a White House press release.

Other decorations include the Gold Star Family tree, which honours troops and their families. Visitors are invited to write messages to loved ones in the military on digital tablets provided.

In the Blue Room, the official White House Christmas tree measures 18 feet high and is decked out in more than 500 feet of blue velvet ribbon embroidered with each US state and territory.

The official White House Christmas tree is dressed to reflect every state and territory in the US. Photo / AP

The US President's main residence will host more than 30,000 visitors as part of 100 open house public tours over the Christmas period.

A video shared by FLOTUS on Twitter reveals some of the finer details, including baubles and a wreath made of pencils featuring the slogan of her youth-focused campaign, "Be Best."

Topiary trees line the East colonnade. The striking red trees have captured the imagination of social media users, with many making fun of the bright red 'blood-like' colour. Photo / AP

Of course, it didn't take long for the display to be savaged by critics online, with Twitter users calling out the First Lady for her use of "blood-red trees" and drawing parallels to horror film The Shining and dystopian TV show The Handmaid's Tale.

Someone did this to Melania Trump’s creepy Christmas trees, and it’s all I’ve ever wanted today. pic.twitter.com/MwigcZxswR
— Dana Goldberg (@DGComedy) November 26, 2018