Last night, we made our annual trek downtown to see the national Christmas tree. The whole area, along with the giant menorah and individual state and territory Christmas trees is known as the Pageant of Peace.
We had a great time, but wow, was it cold. The temperature was hovering around the freezing point, and there was just enough of a breeze to chill you to the bone. You can see from our photos that we were really bundled up.
We always walk around and look at the individual Christmas trees for each state and territory, paying attention to the unique ornaments that decorate each tree. I’m not sure who decides what ornaments go on each tree, but I imagine they are made by school children from each respective state or territory.
While enjoying each of the trees, we stop by the giant yule log (or logs) to warm up a bit, and see if the giant menorah is lit. From there, we check out the nativity, and then head back up to the big tree.
My favorite part are the many trains that are in motion around the base of the big tree. They are the bigger kind and really add to the atmosphere. It’s alot of fun watching all of them chug along and gives us a chance to gaze up at the enormous tree to see how it’s been decorated and enjoy the moment.
After enjoying the Pageant of Peace, we always walk around the entire White House, which was really a challenge this year considering how cold it was, but we managed. We got some great photos, but it was a relief getting back into our warm car.