For Immediate Release
Office of the First Lady
December 3, 2008

Statement by Press Secretary Sally McDonough

Today, Mrs. Laura Bush announced the 2008 White House holiday theme: "A Red, White and Blue Christmas."

In celebration of the patriotic spirit that unites us as Americans, the holiday decorations include two 13-foot tall statues of Uncle Sam welcoming visitors to the East Foyer; an antique sleigh carrying a patriotic Santa, toys, and red, white, and blue wrapped packages; and the Gingerbread White House featuring miniature replicas of the Bush family pets along with cookies fashioned after the Old Guard Fife and Drum Corps.

The official White House Christmas Tree, an 18 ½ -foot Fraser fir from River Ridge Tree Farms in Crumpler, North Carolina, is adorned with ornaments representing the patriotic spirit of our nation's states, districts, and territories.

This year, President and Mrs. Bush will welcome more than 60,000 visitors to the White House to tour the holiday decorations. Tour requests can be submitted through Members of Congress. Each guest visiting the White House will receive the Holiday Tour Booklet illustrated by Peter Catalanotto of Doylestown, Pennsylvania.

For more information, please visit www.whitehouse.gov/holiday/2008.

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