Inside the Christmas Town that Norman Rockwell made famous
Norman Rockwell Museum Curator Stephanie Haboush Plunkett shares how Stockbridge, Massachusetts recreates the iconic Christmas painting. | Painting ‘Main Street’ © 1967 Norman Rockwell Family Agency. Other Rockwell Holiday Artwork © SEPS: Curtis Licensing.
One of the most iconic lines in film history is: ‘There’s no place like home’ from the American classic ‘The Wizard of Oz’. Decades later, that statement still rings true for a little girl in Kansas and the other thousands who will enter the White House to see this year’s Christmas decorations that the first lady Melania Trump beautifully selected with the theme ‘Home Is Where The Heart Is’.
Mrs. Trump once again demonstrated her thoughtfulness and respect for the tradition of the White House and the residents who came before her, while confidently and gracefully not allowing herself to be limited by them. She put her own unique, timeless mark as first lady during her Christmas theme, inspired by her own life experiences from both motherhood and business, saying, “This Christmas, let’s celebrate the love we hold within ourselves and share it with the world around us. After all, wherever we are, we can create a home full of grace, radiance and endless possibilities.”
From the earliest days of our republic, presidents and first ladies have always welcomed people to the White House, and the holidays are certainly the most special time to do so. This year the route will be slightly different due to ballroom construction, but that hasn’t stopped Mrs. Trump from keeping time-honored traditions like Halloween at the White Housethe grace of Thanksgiving turkeys, and now Christmas receptions and tours.
For more than half a century, since the Kennedy administration, first ladies have orchestrated the decor of the beautiful tree that sits prominently in the Blue Room with a theme of their choice that reflects their personal taste and style. Over the decades the design has become more extravagant, but the reflection of what is important to a first family has remained constant.
FIRST LADY MELANIA TRUMP DECORATES THE WHITE HOUSE FOR CHRISTMAS: ‘HOME IS WHERE THE HEART IS’
President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump walk on the day musician Andrea Bocelli performs at the White House, December 5, 2025. (Brian Snyder/Reuters)
To emphasize their personal patriotism, Mrs. Trump designed the historic Blue Room this year in honor of Gold Star Families. The 18-foot-tall Michigan Concolor Fir was trimmed with Gold Star decorations and beautiful custom ball ornaments representing the official flower and bird of each U.S. state and territory, a custom first started by First Lady Pat Nixon.
The White House’s tantalizing gingerbread house and south portico also featured the president Donald Trump‘s newest addition to the White House grounds, the American flag, the first lady’s tradition of placing 75 wreaths in the White House windows, and a look inside the private residence depicting the Yellow Oval Room.
The practice of an annual gingerbread house, also started by Mrs. Nixon, has always been a favorite in the State Dining Room. “It’s edible, but you can’t take a piece with you,” said Nick Clemens, spokesman for the first lady. An important message, as a Time reporter wrote in 1973: “A child from the embassy stood mesmerized before this creation, reached out, broke off a piece of the front and put it in his mouth.” At some point it became necessary at children’s parties to place a Marine near the “giant cookie” because the social assistants were not fast enough and in 1977 two were placed, one on each side.
PHOTOS: THE MAKING OF TRUMP’S WHITE HOUSE BALLROOM, A LOOK AT CONSTRUCTION PROGRESS
A hallmark of Mrs. Trump’s Christmas decorations over the years have been elements of her BE BEST initiative in the decor of a room on stunning display this year, in the Red Room. While the Green Room is filled with decorations that encourage family fun this holiday season, it also features sweet portraits of both Presidents Trump and George Washington made entirely of Lego (each portrait consists of more than 6,000 pieces).
The continuation of President and Mrs. Trump’s patriotism and Americana decor appears in the East Room, the largest room in the White House, hallowed by the portraits of Martha and George Washington. It includes golden eagle treetops, beautiful tree stands with the official logo of America 250stars, roses and oak leaves to celebrate the upcoming centennial of the signing of the Declaration of Independence. The trees were also united with the beautiful colors of Old Glory wrapping through their branches.
From first lady Nancy Reagan’s beloved yet reimagined cranberry tree in the Red Room to Pat Nixon representing all the states and territories with newly designed ornaments on the Blue Room tree, no tradition was too small to be overlooked yet presented in Mrs. Trump’s graceful manner.
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Mrs. Trump’s friend and longtime advisor Herve Pierre, who designed both of her inauguration dresses, was also tapped to use his meticulous attention to detail to oversee the implementation of her creative designs, and to create the annual memento tour booklet, which is particularly stunning this year. Pierre, along with the remarkable White House leadership staff, and the volunteers from across the country who came to install the decorations, created a Christmas that all Americans should be extremely proud of.
Shortly before President John F. Kennedy’s term tragically ended in November 1963, Mrs. Kennedy was asked to contribute a brief introduction to “The Story of the Presidents at Christmas,” an article written for Look magazine. Mrs. Kennedy’s words seem very appropriate this year, not only because of the events that have taken place, but also with Mrs. Trump’s theme of focusing on home, family and “the character of America within the People’s House.”
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“The lights of our trees and homes at this season still signal this oldest promise of Christmas – the end of all wrongs, the fulfillment of old hopes. This article tells the story of Christmas in the White House. But even though the White House is often a center of national attention – a public building – during the Christmas season it is home to an American family who shares in the anticipation of the joy of this festival. The world around us is a complicated and troubled place. But at Christmas we remain in uninterrupted contact with the simple message of redemption and love. that God sent into the world so many years ago.”
Home is truly where the heart is and Mrs. Trump’s commitment to keeping the White House open during renovations is a subtle reminder that her heart and focus remain on welcoming as many people as possible from around the world to visit and experience the People’s House, especially this Christmas season. Because even though it is her temporary home, she knows it belongs to the American people.
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