US First Lady Melania Trump welcomes ‘beautiful’ Christmas tree to White House | Watch

First Lady Melania Trump on Monday welcomed this year’s White House Christmas tree — a white fir from a Michigan farm — as it arrived at the North Portico by horse-drawn carriage.

Tree arrives by carriage

The tree, grown at Korson’s Tree Farms, was transported by a pair of Clydesdales named Logan and Ben. Three men in top hats accompanied the carriage.

“It’s a beautiful tree,” the first lady said while walking around the carriage and posing for photographs. Dressed in a cream overcoat and dark red gloves, she greeted one of the drivers and a woman standing with the horses.

The 18½-foot tree will be placed in the Blue Room.

Farm earns honour through national contest

Korson’s Tree Farms secured the opportunity after winning the National Christmas Tree Association’s annual competition. Since 1966, the contest winner has supplied the White House with its official Christmas tree.

First lady ‘at ease’ during ceremony

Trump, 55, appeared relaxed as she received the enormous evergreen grown in the town of Sidney in central Michigan.

“It will be beautiful! We are going to plan,” she told reporters.

“It will be beautiful! We are going to plan, and it’s starting today,” she was also quoted as saying by the *New York Post*.

President absent during arrival

President Trump did not attend the ceremony after spending the morning speaking with Chinese President Xi Jinping, while his foreign policy team continued efforts to reach a Russia-Ukraine peace agreement before a self-imposed Thanksgiving deadline.

Thanksgiving Plans

The Trumps are expected to spend the Thanksgiving holiday at the president’s Mar-a-Lago resort in Palm Beach, Florida. On Tuesday, the White House will host the annual turkey pardon, sponsored by the meat industry.

This year’s official Christmas tree once again came from Michigan’s Korson’s Tree Farms.

Why is Christmas celebrated on December 25?

Christmas, celebrated each year on December 25, is one of the most significant festivals for millions of people around the world. The choice of this date has deep historical roots, shaped by religious beliefs, long-standing traditions and ancient cultural practices. Although the Bible does not specify the exact birth date of Jesus Christ, early Christian leaders selected 25 December for symbolic and practical reasons.

During the first centuries of Christianity, Christ’s birth was not formally observed. It was only as the Roman Empire began to embrace Christianity in the 4th century that the Church looked to establish a dedicated day for the celebration. The date may have been chosen to align with existing winter festivals in the Roman world, helping to ease the transition from older customs to Christian worship. Over time, 25 December became widely accepted as the day to honour the birth of Jesus, forming the foundation of today’s Christmas celebrations.

(With inputs from agency)