Op-ed:
On Christmas Trees and First Ladies
By: Diane Sori / The Patriot Factor / Right Side Patriots on American Political Radio

Soon it will be Christmas...the day when true believers worldwide celebrate the birth of one small child who forever changed the course of both history and mankind.

Usually on this holy day we pray that for at least a few hours we have 'Peace on Earth...Good Will Toward Men'...a laying down of arms if you will. But in today's volatile world so awash in hate, anger, and terrorism, peace and good will most likely still allude us even for a few precious hours on so special a day.

Peace will allude us even as some in our own country...as in liberals...do everything they can to take Christmas away from believers. In their effort to appease the non-believers at every turn they forget that the Christmas spirit remains true in the hearts and minds of most Americans for 'We the People' know that our beloved America was, is, and will always remain a Judeo-Christian nation founded upon a belief in God the Father, His Son, and on the Jewish patriarchs whose law came first.

And now our hearts and our minds can smile in knowing that for the first time in eight long years we can relish in again saying the words 'Merry Christmas' not the forced-down-our-throats politically correct nonsense known as 'Happy Holidays'...the hallmark of the Obama years.

And while the White House observance of Christmas before the twentieth century was not an official event...in fact, Christmas trees themselves were looked upon as being a pagan symbol in the early years of our nation's founding with only German settlers, whose tradition it was, having said trees in their homes...thankfully the regalia and pageantry that is Christmas will now be heralded once again...heralded like it was in the 1880s, when then President Benjamin Harrison decorated the first indoor White House Christmas Tree with lit candles and toys. 

And when in 1894, President Grover Cleveland replaced the candles with electric lights off and running a White House Christmas went...and from the very moment the first electric Christmas lights were turned on, Christmas as a national celebration replete with all the trappings of lights, trees, carolers, and gift exchanges happily was embraced...embraced but always with the underlying hope and prayer that the coming New Year would be a better one than the year before.

Surely a better year what with class, glamour, and a true love of country once again setting the tone not just for the year to come but for a White House Christmas as well. And while most, but not all, of our presidents loved our country and loved Christmas...as they reveled in Christmas traditions, family, and friends as much as we do today...it was our nation's First Ladies who were charged with setting the decorating tone for all the White House Christmas trees and displays, especially for our nation's 'official' Christmas Tree, the one that stands in the Blue Room.

And it all started in 1929 when then First Lady Lou Henry Hoover herself decorated the Blue Room Christmas Tree and a tradition was born, although during the years of both the Great Depression and World War II the White House trees and decorations were quite simple and held to a minimum. But in 1961, when Camelot ruled, First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy started the tradition of picking themes for the official White House Christmas Tree and decorations. Dressing the Blue Room tree and White House entry with ornaments depicting characters from the Nutcracker Suite ballet, Mrs. Kennedy's first theme has been revisited this year by our new First Lady Melania Trump.

In 1965, Lady Bird Johnson decorated the official Blue Room tree with popcorn strands...a popular theme in the 1960's...coupled with a mixed bag of ornaments. In 1970, First Lady Pat Nixon saw the official tree being decorated with silver tinsel and glass ornaments, while First Lady Betty Ford decorated the main tree in the Blue Room with large ribbons and a mix of traditional glass ornaments. Switching to a 'homey look' in 1975, Mrs. Ford decorated the Blue Room Christmas Tree once again with multiple strands of popcorn, adding wooden ornaments and a criss-cross of paper chains.

And while in 1977, Rosalyn Carter decorated the Blue Room's Christmas Tree with an array of ornaments and white twinkling lights, it was in 1978, that a bit of glamour surfaced when she decorated a 20-foot tree with gold ornaments and surrounded the bottom with antique toys and a miniature house. However, it was not until 1980 and a Reagan presidency that the glamour and class that had been Camelot visited the White House again. In fact, in 1982, First Lady Nancy Reagan dressed the main Blue Room Christmas Tree in a sophisticated array of sparkling white lights, gold ornaments and host of velvet white angels. Camelot Hollywood-style became the rule of the day...for a short but memorable time anyway.

In 1989 and in 1991, a more homespun tree decorated the Blue Room with dolls depicting children's book characters and needlepoint ornaments respectively being the choice of First Lady Barbara Bush. And the Clinton years heralded in what Hillary called “funky and down to earth'' trees that she had decorated with handmade dolls and ornaments with a replica of her cat Socks being the tree-topper. Continued throughout their time in office, this simpler style of tree decorating with ornaments made by school children, artisans, and a Santa's Workshop theme seemed more in line with Billy-Boy's more humble roots than with the pageantry that is Christmas, and went along with her “it takes a village” musings.

As expected, White House tours were suspended in 2001 after the horror of 9/11, and the public was unable to see the 'Home for the Holidays' decorations that First Lady Laura Bush so lovingly decorated with. But with Laura having a quite eclectic taste, her Christmas trees ran the gamut from the 2002 'All Creatures Great and Small' theme that honored White House pets through the years, to her nature inspired 'All Things Bright and Beautiful' theme in 2005 which saw the official tree in the Blue Room decorated with fresh white lilies...truly beautiful to behold. And as their last Blue Room Christmas Tree, Laura had the tree decked out in red, whites, and blues...patriotism on display for the Bush's truly loved and still love our troops.

Now as for Michelle Obama...who not so secretly always tried to politicize Christmas with her liberal agenda on full display even in her choice of White House Christmas themes. Ranging from her 2009 first year's supposedly environmentally conscious 'Reflect, Rejoice and Renew' theme replete with the Blue Room official tree being dimly lit with LED lights and an oh so controversial Mao Zedong ornament on it, to her 2013 tree that supposedly honored military families while invoking the theme 'Shine, Give, Share.' Decorated with framed military medals and handmade cards from children living on U.S. military bases around the world, it sounds honorable doesn't it but not coming from this First Lady as this was the same military her husband defamed, dishonored, and apologized for...nothing but hypocrisy I would say.

Again using the military theme in 2015 when the ribbon that decorated the stars and stripes-themed Christmas tree was inscribed with messages to U.S. troops from their families, this tree was insulting enough as it came from the woman who during a 9/11 ceremony said, "All this for a damn flag." But the ultimate insult, in my opinion, was when in 2016, the last year the Obama's occupied the White House, Michelle used as the theme 'The Gift of the Holidays' with that year's ribbon decorating the official Blue Room tree having written upon it the preamble to the U.S. Constitution...the very Constitution her husband had said was a “deeply flawed” outdated no longer relevant document, and that our Constitution was “just a piece of parchment”...a true slap in the face to our Founders and Framers who he also said had “an enormous blind spot” when they wrote it.

But now that has all changed as glamour, elegance, class, and a true love for our country is on display for all to see with our new First Lady Melania Trump's Christmas theme 'Time-Honored Traditions.'...a theme honoring 200 years of White House Christmas' past. Elegantly subtle in its simplicity yet with class unseen in years, Melania's sense of style and grace can be seen in the white tree branches adorned with crystal ornaments and drops that line the White House's East Colonnade.

And in a nod to Jacqueline Kennedy, a class act herself, Melania echoed Mrs. Kennedy's first themed Christmas at the White House...the Nutcracker Suite...as ballerina's danced the holiday tradition amongst the shimmering icy branches. And the official 2017 Christmas Tree gracing the Blue Room is covered in white lights, blue and gold ornaments, pine cones, and yards and yards of blue velvet ribbon...again class and elegance personified. Touching the ceiling at 18 feet, 6 inches tall the pine tree is adorned with ornaments representing all 50 states and territories, along with blue and gold bows. A true nod to one and all that together we comprise these United States.

And a very special tree...a tree so special it is the first tree seen on official White House tours...is also lovingly touched with Melania's grace. The Gold Star Tree...a tree both majestically beautiful and hauntingly sad...is decorated with gold stars and patriotic ribbons as it honors brave heroes lost...troops fallen in battle yet never to be forgotten...never forgotten by America's newest Commander-in-Chief who holds Americas bravest so close to his heart.

And so with Christmas but a few days away...I wish all who celebrate the birth of so special a child a very Merry Christmas filled with peace, love, and joy. And may the New Year unite 'We the People' together and bring us closer to God as our beloved America once again shines as bright as the shimmering lights that herald the very spirit of all that is Christmas.

Copyright @ 2017 Diane Sori / The Patriot Factor / All Rights Reserved.

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RIGHT SIDE PATRIOTS...LIVE!

Don't miss our CHRISTMAS SPECIAL this Friday evening, December 22nd from 7 to 9pm EST, as we discuss the politics of the very first Christmas, and White House Christmas traditions.

Hope you can tune in at: http://listen.samcloud.com/w/73891/American-Political-Radio#history