Hundreds gathered near the White House on Christmas Day, but it wasn’t to protest any sort of policy.
Warmer weather and Christmas cheer brought tourists and locals alike to the Ellipse to see the National Christmas Tree.
“Beautiful day to be out here, at least till the rains come. Crowds aren’t bad today, so it’s nice to walk around,” said Hugh, who stopped by from Maryland.
The Pathway of Peace surrounds the National Christmas Tree. It consists of 56 other trees that represent each state, territory, the Department of Defense and Department of the Interior’s Bureau of Indian Education. Students decorated the trees their state with hand-drawn ornaments.
Janet and Paul, of Damascus, Maryland, walked around the pathway for about 30 minutes taking what each state’s trees had to offer.
“We’re empty nesters and our children aren’t home this year. So we decided to do something,” said Janet. “It’s something we’ve done — this [is] our fifth or sixth time coming down here. So it’s a great idea. I just love it.”
“I just like seeing the different decorations from the different states. I try to pick things up from each state,” added Paul.
The Pathway of Peace site is free to visit and open to the public through Jan. 1, 2022. The hours span from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. on Sunday through Thursday, and 10 a.m. to 11 p.m. Friday and Saturday.
