The Christmas tree arrives at the White House on Friday to light up the Blue Room throughout the entire holiday season. First lady Michelle Obama, her daughters and first dog, Bo, welcomed the 19-foot-tall Fraser fir tree from a farm near Jefferson, N.C. This is the 47th tree presented by the National Christmas Tree Association since 1966.
Each year the association holds a national contest to ensure that the tree meets the requirement of at least 18 ½ feet in height to reach the ceiling of the Blue Room. Russell Estes, the 2012 contest winner, also presented a Christmas tree to the White House in 2008.