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Holidays at the Mansion

A Heavenly Holiday

A Heavenly Holiday at the Executive Mansion is a terrestrial imagination of a celestial paradise, utilizing natural elements native to Virginia in conjunction with nods to the cosmic and sublime. Featuring Christmas trees adorned with over 20,000 lights and magnolia and evergreen garlands sprinkled with touches of silver and gold, Virginia’s Executive Mansion is sure to shine this holiday season.

Lighted tree and wreath on mantle
Wreath on widow sill, lamp reflection on window
Red shiny ribbon and pine cones on wreath
Virginia Executive Mansion lego model
Wreath hangs over doorway entrance
Orchid blooms among wreath on mantel
Red and blue ribbons wreath
Entrance image showing holiday wreath display on doorway
Four heavenly ornaments on tree
Ribbons, orchids and star lights decorate the mantle wreath

Holiday Events and Tours

Plan your visit to the Executive Mansion this holiday season to take in “A Heavenly Holiday.” Tours will be offered on the following days from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m., with live music featured on the starred days.

Monday, December 9th | Tuesday, December 10th | *Thursday, December 12th | Friday, December 13th | *Monday, December 16th | *Tuesday, December 17th | *Thursday, December 19th     

Please note: the Executive Mansion will be closed for tours from Friday, December 20th to Friday, January 3rd.

Mrs. Gilmore's Angels

Roxane Gatling Gilmore served as first lady of Virginia from 1998-2002. She was a professor of Classics at Randolph Macon College and previously taught in public schools in Henrico and Chesterfield counties. Mrs. Gilmore's academic interest in history and love of historic preservation combined as she took on the enormous task of chairing the committee that managed the most extensive renovation of the Executive Mansion in its then 200-year history. Far from a figurehead, she took an extensive and daily interest in the work being done, often on site to oversee the execution of the carefully detailed and complex renovation.

At the conclusion of the renovation, a collection of handmade angels was crafted from remnants of fabric used for the drapes and upholstery. The angels, of varying size and pose, first graced the Christmas tree in 2000, following the renovation. They were displayed again the next year, then carefully wrapped and stored for decades. Now, returning to their rightful place, the angels on the Executive Mansion’s Christmas trees serve more than just a decorative role. They stand as a powerful reminder of legacy, connecting us to those who came before and those who will follow.

Angel wearing blue dress
Five angle ornaments, two wearing blue and three wearing red in cluster on tree
Three angel ornaments wearing yellow, red and blue

 

The Christmas Tree

This holiday season, Governor Youngkin and the First Lady have chosen to honor those doing important work throughout the Commonwealth through a decorated Christmas tree in the Dining Room. Read below to learn more about these impactful groups and causes.

Organizations and Causes

New Creation golden ornament

New Creation

New Creation VA is a nonprofit creatively counteracting human trafficking with a local heart and global approach. Based in Harrisonburg, Virginia, New Creation focuses on educating youth on the dangers of human trafficking. By connecting middle and high schools to prevention education, New Creation aims to empower and mobilize communities to get involved in counteracting human trafficking and create dignified work for those rescued from, or vulnerable to trafficking around the world.

Each ornament is lovingly handcrafted by one of New Creation’s global artisan partners--ensuring they have empowering employment opportunities to help break the cycle of poverty and exploitation!

Learn more by visiting NewCreationVA.org.

Two ornaments of Forgotten Faces of Fentanyl

Forgotten Faces of Fentanyl

To highlight The First Lady and Attorney General Jason Miyares’ Fentanyl Awareness Pilot Program and the Youngkin administration’s efforts in eradicating the fentanyl epidemic, members of the Fentanyl Families Ambassador Program submitted ornaments in honor of their loved ones who have tragically lost their lives to fentanyl poisoning.

These photographs are accompanied by poignant drawings by Debbie Evans, a mother who tragically lost her son, Jamie, to the fentanyl crisis. From her series Forgotten Faces of Fentanyl, Evans portrays over 65 individuals who have fallen victim to the epidemic. Each drawing captures them in moments of joy, doing what they loved, honoring their lives and reinforcing the powerful notion that advocacy can take many forms.

A Gingerbread Capitol

The Virginia State Capitol, located in Richmond, serves as the seat of government for the Commonwealth of Virginia. It is home to the Virginia General Assembly, the oldest elected legislative body in North America, established in 1619.

While serving as America's ambassador in Paris, Thomas Jefferson was tasked with finding an architect well suited for the job of designing the new Capitol in Richmond. To the surprise of the committee who made the request, Jefferson decided to personally undertake the project and in doing so introduced neoclassical architecture to the United States.

Executive Mansion Pastry Chef Emiliano Rodriquez began plans for his gingerbread Capitol in early September. This is Emiliano’s first Christmas with the Executive Mansion and his first time creating a gingerbread house from design to construction to execution. Congratulations, Em!

Gingerbread model of the capitol building
Gingerbread capitol building model in front of silver platter display
View of gingerbread capitol building from the right side

 

Virginia's Home for the Holidays

Then & Now

It’s the most wonderful time of year at the Executive Mansion, and it has been for over two centuries! In 1849, Virginia became the fifth state to recognize Christmas as a legal holiday, beginning the tradition of decking the interior halls and exterior walls of Virginia’s home. Click through the galleries below to see how the Mansion’s holiday scene has changed over the years.

Holidays Then
Holidays Now
useful links
About Plan Your Visit Art Experience The Mansion on Flickr
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