White House holiday decor features<br> environmentally-friendly touches

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The White House predicts that more than 50,000 people will walk through the executive residence this month to get a glimpse of the 2009 Christmas decorations.

While the 27 trees, 61 wreaths, and 2,700 yards of ribbon look like pretty traditional holiday trappings, it’s nice to see the White House has adopted some eco-friendly touches this year. Six live trees wrapped in burlap will be adopted by the National Park Service after Christmas for replanting. Recycled and re-decorated ornaments from administrations past grace the official White House Christmas tree (an 18.5 foot douglas fir), which is lit with low-energy-use LED lights this year. And 500 stems of dried hydrangea were used in holiday displays, many of which have been repurposed from fresh arrangements.

For the other 308,130,200 or so people in America who aren’t going to get to Washington, D.C., before Friday, here’s a two-minute tour of this year’s holiday decor, with First Lady Michelle Obama as guide.

-- Lisa Boone Video courtesy of the White House