The Obamas will celebrate their last Christmas in the White House in front of a Balsam fir tree donated by Dave Vander Velden of Whispering Pines Tree Farm in Oconto, Wisconsin.
And this won't be the first time that the Presidential Christmas tree, which is usually set up in the Blue Room, is donated by a Wisconsin grower. As highlighted in the map below, in the past 40 years six White House Christmas trees originated in Wisconsin.
How to achieve this highest honor for a tree grower? During the summer months, tree growers sign up for their own region's tree "fair." Representatives across the country choose each region's winner, who will then join the national competition. The national judge will usually pick a champion at the beginning of September.
The criteria for entering the competition is, predictably, extremely stringent as only perfect trees are worthy of a win (think no diseases, a maximum height of 20 feet and no lopsidedness, for example).
Champions commit to donating the tree to the President's family and forgo payment (which can reach $3,000) for a chance to light the tree during the White House's lighting ceremony and, of course, boast about the honor for the rest of their lives.
Once the tree is chosen, the First Lady selects a theme, a custom that began when John F. Kennedy was in office, for the ornaments. Past themes have ranged from the eclectic to the even more eclectic: recycling (Betty Ford), antique toys (Rosalynn Carter) and family literacy (Barbara Bush), among others.
In the last 40 years, four of the champion trees were donated by Eric and Gloria Sundback (albeit from two different farms) while North Carolina is the state with most championship trees (8).