Washington: First Lady, Jill Biden received the official White House Christmas tree outside the White House residence Monday afternoon.
The 18 foot- (5.5 meters) -tall Concolor fir grown on a farm in Pennsylvania, the state where the first lady grew up, will fill up the Blue Room after a chandelier is temporarily removed so the tree can be anchored in place for safety.
“I love the tree,” the first lady said after she was asked how she liked it. She held the hand of her grandson Beau. “He wanted to come out and see the tree.”
Volunteer decorators began arriving at the White House on Monday to start sprucing it up for Christmas, according to a theme first ladies traditionally reveal after Thanksgiving.
Paul and Sharon Shealer of Auburn, Pennsylvania, were crowned this year’s Grand Champion Grower in the National Christmas Tree Association’s National Christmas tree contest.
With the award, the winner gets to present a Christmas tree to the White House.
It’s the second time that the Shealers have claimed the association’s top honor. They presented a tree to first lady Hillary Clinton in 2000.
As Mrs. Biden walked away from receiving the tree, she was asked about the shooting at a gay bar this weekend in Colorado Springs, which killed five people and injured 25 others.
“It just hurts our hearts, really, that this keeps going on and on,” she said.
“I know it sounds hollow to say our hearts and prayers are with them but it is, especially any time these tragedies happen you just think ‘when will it end and when will it stop.’ Joe and I just feel just heartbroken, like the rest of America,” the first lady added.
Later Monday, the Bidens were heading to Marine Corps Air Station, Cherry Point, near the North Carolina coast for friendsgiving, or to share a Thanksgiving-style meal with members of the military and their families.
Each year, the Blue Room’s chandelier is removed to accommodate the Christmas tree’s full height, according to the first lady’s office.
Kelly Hokanson, spouse of National Guard Bureau Chief Gen. Daniel Hokanson, joined Dr. Biden for the reception.
The custom has continued sporadically throughout the years – some first families placed a tree in the Blue Room, while others preferred multiple trees in the East Room, where many of the season’s events happen.
During the Eisenhower administration, first lady Mamie Eisenhower featured a tree in the Blue Room consistently, and first lady Jacqueline Kennedy continued the tradition.
In 1961, she picked a theme and decorated the tree with objects depicting characters and toys from the “Nutcracker Suite” ballet. That tradition has continued since.
The theme for 2022 has not yet been announced.
