6000 people attend the White House Halloween party

Thursday brought a colorful and festive atmosphere to the South Lawn of the White House. This was due to the annual Halloween celebration hosted by President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump.

The colorful festivities were captured in photos and videos, and the presidential couple was present to welcome approximately four thousand (6,000) guests who arrived at the White House complex.

As reported by the New York Post, most of the attendees at this celebration were young children dressed in various costumes, and they were very eager to receive a commemorative chocolate bar from the President and his wife. It was noted that the commemorative chocolate bars distributed to the children by the Trump couple on that occasion appeared to be the famous 'Hershey's' type of chocolate bars.

The New York Post report stated that the celebratory atmosphere was filled with music as well as unusual sights. While the eerie Halloween melodies performed by the U.S. Air Force string band played in the background, construction work for the President's new ballroom was also underway. Amidst the sparks flying from metal saws and the rising noise, guests also watched the sight of Air Force One flying over the White House. Video footage also confirmed that Air Force One flew over the White House during the event.

A video released by the First Lady's office showed Melania Trump emerging from the White House with her husband, holding a little girl's hand. During the celebration, the White House stated on Thursday that this year's event would have "No tricks, just treats." Meanwhile, the U.S. Secret Service was also present at the location for the celebration.

This year's celebration was made meaningful by the participation of a special group of people. The New York Post reported that staff members of the Trump administration brought their families to the celebration. In addition, military personnel, law enforcement officers, and family members with foster and adoptive children were also included in the event.

According to the White House Historical Association website, White House Halloween celebrations have a long history. The White House was first publicly decorated for Halloween in 1958 by then-First Lady Mamie Eisenhower. She hosted a luncheon for staff members' wives in the State Dining Room, and the decorations included skeletons hanging from sconces, yellow jack-o'-lanterns, and dried cornstalks piled in a corner of the room.

Later, with the arrival of young children at the White House during the Kennedy administration, photos of the Kennedy children dressed in Halloween costumes in the Oval Office came to light. President Kennedy and Mrs. Kennedy also started the tradition of hosting a 'trick-or-treat' Halloween event for friends and staff from then on. Since then, holding large events on the White House grounds became a tradition, and presidential families with young children, such as Amy Carter, Chelsea Clinton, and Malia and Sasha Obama, further carried on this tradition. This year, Donald and Melania Trump hosted on the South Lawn another year's celebration in that continuous series of White House Halloween events that have spanned decades.