USA TODAY inspects Christmas decorations at the Vice President’s official residence
USA TODAY has exclusive coverage of this year’s holiday decorations at the Vice President’s residence.
WASHINGTON — Five-year-old Vivek Vance said he wanted a “really skinny tree” on the second floor of the Vice President’s mansion. And his parents, Usha and JD, mostly gave him minimalist holiday wishes.
Usha said her son liked trees that were “leaning” and had exposed spots. However, the Vances reached a family compromise. “That’s the way it goes,” Usha told USA TODAY about the tree. “But it was a little less grieving than he had hoped.”
Of course, there are three large trees on the first floor of the house that guests see. But for families, there’s a Charlie Brown-style Christmas tree.
So is the decision to vacation at the Vance family’s luxurious Naval Observatory mansion in Washington. Like any American family, there are concessions to decor.
Usha Vance isn’t used to showing off her holiday trim. But this year, as second lady, on Monday mornings after her husband and children have left, she opens her Washington home and offers a tour of the first floor.
J.D. Vance was the third-youngest vice president when he was sworn into office, and the couple’s children (Ewan, 8, Vivek, 5, and Mirabel, 3) were the youngest vice presidents to ever live at the mansion.
A young family’s first Christmas at the Vice President’s Office at the Naval Observatory is decorated with garlands, ornaments and ribbons.
“Usually we’re not really into tinsel or frost trees, but this year it’s fun,” Usha Vance, 39, said in an interview with USA TODAY.
A large white tent out front features framed photos of the home’s former residents, where the family has been entertaining this season and as part of this year’s “Golden Noel” theme, which pays homage to 50 years of Christmas at the Vice President’s residence. Some of the images are from a scrapbook left behind by the former vice president. Others are from the Library of Congress.
The Mondales became the first vice presidential family to live in a 33-room Queen Anne-style home located about four miles from the White House and near many of the capital’s embassies and ambassador’s residences. The mansion’s first Christmas celebration was held in 1975 during Nelson Rockefeller’s presidency, and this year’s theme is a throwback to both, Usha Vance said. “It’s a bit of a vintage Christmas,” she added.
Planning the exhibit took months. It started with a mood board and concept. Construction then involved artists and volunteers, who assembled everything while the family was away, Vance said of the elaborate design process that began over the summer.
In areas available to party and dinner guests, three trees from Pennsylvania’s Evergreen Acres, a runner-up in this year’s National Christmas Tree Association contest, are dotted around the first-floor sunroom, living room and dining room.
Rare interview with Mr. Usha and tour of the Vice President’s official residence
The Vance family has lived in the mansion in northwest Washington since the day after Vice President J.D. Vance’s inauguration on January 20, and spent his free time remodeling it during his first 10 months as vice president.
Above the dining room fireplace, a commissioned painting from Delaware-based artist Allison Cosmos hangs on the wall. It features a blue jay that is reminiscent of the Second Lady. There are also pheasants and monarch butterflies, which are my son Vivek’s favorites. The California quail is a symbol of strong family ties.
Rothko’s works on loan from the Smithsonian Institution are on display.
They built a tree house for the children. Usha said the play area is insulated so it can be reused as a work space for adults.
They built a storage shed that resembled a house. The family uses it for biking and family woodworking, she says. Inside, we added a pantry to store snacks and lunchbox essentials.
“I hadn’t actually seen it before I arrived and had no idea what it would actually be like, but obviously safety has been taken into account,” she said of the child safety measures. “We have a pool outside, so we wanted to make sure the kids couldn’t jump out and fall into the pool.”
The Vances have sold the home in Alexandria’s Del Rey neighborhood where J.D. Vance lived while he was a U.S. senator from Ohio. They still own a home in Cincinnati and visit there from time to time.
In Washington, a 12-acre plot set back from the road on a 72-acre property is their primary home for now, and Usha said they are still putting the finishing touches on the living space’s stockings and other decorations. At Vivek’s request, trees cut down by his family in Lexington, Kentucky decorate their living quarters.
Usha said the family does not plan to spend Christmas Day on the property. They usually visit her parents, sister, and brother-in-law in Southern California. Thanksgiving is usually spent with my husband’s family in Ohio.
Usha was the first Indian-American second lady and was raised as a Hindu, but said in interviews that she always celebrated Christmas and exchanged gifts with her friends. She said it was important for her father to spend time thinking about the religious meaning of the holiday.
“We read the Bible and thought about the Christmas story, and we did activities such as volunteering that emphasize the spirit of giving and serving others,” she said. “It wasn’t a purely secular Christmas experience, but it wasn’t our religious tradition either.”
Her husband is a Christian and converted to Catholicism in 2019 after they were already married. She has said in the past that she has no intention of converting. Their eldest son, Ewan, chooses to be baptized in 2024.
That was also the year he decided he no longer believed in Santa. Usha said he told the class that St. Nick wasn’t real.
“But it worked because the other kids who were still Santa believers basically talked him into it. So it didn’t have as much of an effect as he intended,” the second woman said.
Five-year-old Vivek basically understands this. That’s because her eldest has a “big mouth,” she says, but 3-year-old Mirabel doesn’t realize it yet. “She’s still working on it,” says the second woman.
Until recently, her children’s favorite holiday movie was Tim Burton’s “The Nightmare Before Christmas.” “They were a little obsessed with it,” she said, calling the film, which bridges Halloween and Christmas, “a little crazy.” Then they moved on to “The Grinch.” Original version. She says she has never seen Jim Carrey’s work.
“It’s probably their favorite because it’s my favorite,” she says.
Usha said her children have become increasingly passionate about ice skating and are taking lessons at a rink on the National Mall. Vivek liked the holiday opera and plans to go again.
“We need to intersperse them between all parties and formal commitments,” says Usha.
The second woman said she has hosted nine receptions this week alone, including one on Tuesday that President Donald Trump is scheduled to attend. She hosted three or four parties last week.
She forgot the number.
