Q. The White House Christmas tree last year came from North Carolina. Where is this year's tree coming from? -- T.F.
A. This year, the tree chosen to stand in the Blue Room of the White House is a Douglas fir from the farm of Eric and Gloria Sundback in Shepherdstown, W.Va.
This is the fourth time that the Sundbacks have provided the White House Christmas tree. The first time was in 1979, during the Carter administration; and the others were in 1981 and 1987, during the Reagan administration.
Such repeats are rare; only six growers have done it, according to the National Christmas Tree Association, which holds the contest to pick the White House tree.
You are right -- last year's White House tree came from North Carolina. It was a Fraser fir from River Ridge Tree Farm in Creston in Ashe County.
Over the past few years, North Carolina has had a run of success in the competition to provide the national Christmas tree. The 2007 tree was a Fraser fir from Mistletoe Meadows Christmas Tree Farm in Laurel Springs, and the 2005 tree was from Smokey Holler Tree Farm, also in Laurel Springs.
In all, 11 trees from North Carolina have served as the White House Christmas tree since the National Christmas Tree Association began presenting champion trees to the White House in 1966.
In a story about the Christmas tree, The Washington Post described what will happen on the day after Thanksgiving, when "the Sundbacks will deliver a tree to the White House gate, where it will be met by a green wagon adorned with red ribbons and pulled by Belgian horses from the Children's Farm in Oxon Hill. Michelle Obama will be there to shake their hands and probably invite them in for tea."
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