President Trump's First Christmas: What Has Changed at the White House

Photo: Facebook / First Lady Melania Trump

“Merry Christmas,” the president told reporters as he walked across the South Lawn of the White House.

It was a warm day and the smell of roses was in the air outside the White House—it didn't really feel like Christmas.

However, the holiday season here is already in full swing: it began a week earlier than most Trump's predecessors.

Donald Trump is known for his love of doing things his own way. We counted at least five reasons why this Christmas in the White House can be considered unique.

Photo: Facebook / First Lady Melania Trump

Christmas before Thanksgiving

Traditionally, the Christmas tree for the President’s family is solemnly brought to the White House in a horse-drawn carriage a few days after Thanksgiving.

For decades, this ceremony became in Washington a symbolic beginning of the celebration of the coming Christmas.

This year, the tree was delivered early—three days before Thanksgiving—apparently because of the president's upcoming departure. The next day he went to his private club, Mar-a-Lago in Florida.

The change in the date of the tree ceremony and the decision to leave the White House this week is an important sign, says Catherine Sibley of St. Joseph's University in Pennsylvania.

According to her, this demonstrates that the White House did not become a point of attraction for the president and his family, as was the case with the Obama, Bush and Kennedy families.

“It's more of an addition to their life rather than a focal point,” Sibley explains.

No more "сhappy holidays"

During his presidential campaign, Trump insisted that people would soon start saying "Merry Christmas" instead of "happy holidays" again, a phrase he derided as politically correct (targeting those who do not celebrate Christian Christmas, such as Jews, Muslims or atheists, - but rests with everyone else).

In October, he told supporters he had fulfilled his promise: "We wish you a Merry Christmas again."

For the president’s supporters, this has become a symbol of his disregard for political correctness, but Trump’s critics insist that this is a rather pointless idea. They note that President Obama, too, often congratulated on Christmas during his speeches.

Other presidents also congratulated people on Christmas, but did not attach much importance to this, notes historian Timothy Naftali of the University of New York.

“He [Trump] makes it seem like he's the first president to celebrate Christmas,” Naftali says.

Special gift for people

This is not the gift that you can find under the tree. Tax cuts cannot be wrapped in wrapping paper.

However, the president described the proposed tax cuts as “a great, big, beautiful Christmas present” for Americans.

And this plan is already becoming a reality, since the Senate approved the bill.

No photos of pets

Trump is the first American president in more than 100 years who does not have a pet. Therefore, the lack of cute photos with the “first dog of the USA” can be considered another departure from tradition.

Bo and Sunny, a Portuguese water dog, participated in several Christmas photo shoots at Obama.

During the reign of George W. Bush, the Scottish terrier Barney once launched a Christmas tree to explore gifts.

Sox, a Clinton cat, for a photo shoot wore a red Santa hat.

Photo: whitehouse.gov

The media will be without a holiday

Trump's predecessors traditionally held a press conference in December in the briefing room [special room for communication with journalists] in the White House. Trump most likely will not do this.

One administration official told me that she thought it was beneath him to show up in the briefing room. Instead, the president talks to reporters on the South Lawn, in the Oval Office or on the presidential jet, where he seems to feel most comfortable.

In addition, Trump invited fewer journalists than usual to a celebration at the White House.

Invitations had been sent out, but a CNN spokesman said the network's journalists would not attend "due to the president's ongoing attacks on press freedom and CNN."

It absolutely suits those who work for the president.

In response to this statement by journalists, White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders wrote: “Christmas comes early! Finally some good news from CNN."

Read also on ForumDaily:

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5 New Year's gifts for those who have everything

Who and what to give for Christmas: a guide to etiquette

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