All American presidents leave their mark on holiday decorating. In 1923, Calvin Coolidge introduced the inaugural National Christmas Tree, festooned with more than 2,500 electric lights; in the 1960s, First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy enacted Nutcracker decor and holiday decorating in the White House has been themed ever since. In short, it's all kept pretty restrained: no one ever sets the seat of power alight to, say, "Gangnam Style," and there's never an $11M Christmas tree.
That's not to say the Obamas haven't had their fun: two years ago celebrity designer David Stark was brought in to jazz up select rooms and a marzipan Bo the Portuguese Water Dog made an appearance next to the official gingerbread White House replica; last year there were 37 Christmas trees and a 400-pound gingerbread house, the largest ever in the history of the White House. This year it's all about "Joy to All," with 54 trees and patriotic wreaths and ornaments that "pay tribute to our Armed Forces and their families," according to the official site. And POTUS and FLOTUS aren't above the increasingly popular trend of using pets as architectural tour guides—in this case, please allow Bo to lead you around:
The Video:
· Bo Inspects the 2012 White House Holiday Decorations [YouTube via BuzzFeed]
· Holidays 2012 [White House]
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