WASHINGTON (TNND) — President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump are set to take part in the annual lighting of the National Christmas Tree in Washington on Thursday night.
The Beach Boys and Alana Springsteen are scheduled to perform near the ceremony, according to The New York Post.
WASHINGTON, DC – NOVEMBER 30: President Donald Trump and the first lady Melania Trump attend the 95th annual National Christmas Tree Lighting held by the National Park Service at the White House Ellipse in Washington, D.C., November 30, 2017. The Beach Boys, Wynonna, The Texas Tenors, Craig Campbell were among the artists who provided the entertainment. (Photo by Astrid Riecken/Getty Images)
The National Park Service (NPS) said this year’s National Christmas Tree is a 35-foot red spruce from the George Washington and Jefferson National Forest in Virginia.
The NPS said the yearly event started on Christmas Eve in 1923 when President Calvin Coolidge lit a 48-foot Balsam Fir from Vermont decorated with 2,500 red, white, and green electric bulbs. More than 20,000 people attended the event.
It was meant as a celebration for all of Washington, rich and poor, young and old, although a special emphasis was placed on the children,” according to the NPS. “The forty-five minute program, replete with angel figures in white robes, nativity tableaux, carols, and Boy Scouts waving American flags, was modeled largely on community celebrations in other cities.”
The 2025 event is set to start at 6 p.m.
The White House appeared to be getting into the holiday spirit on Wednesday, as it released a new holiday cartoon that features a drawing of Trump wearing a rat Santa Claus hat.
The photo shows Trump standing in front of the White House and giving a thumbs up. The greeting, “Daddy’s Home,” appears on the image.
BE THE FIRST TO COMMENT
“Home for the holidays,” The White House’s official Instagram account captioned the post.
Local Story
