Merry Christmas from the Louisiana Governor's Mansion

Louisiana First Lady Donna Edwards admits she was a bundle of nerves when decorating the Governor's Mansion for the holidays during the family's first Christmas there six years ago.

"I felt a lot of self-imposed pressure," Edwards said.

But since then Edwards said she has settled into a comfortable role as what she describes as a temporary caretaker of the people's house.

"At the end of the day people want to enjoy and experience a genuinely festive atmosphere that celebrates the true gifts of the season," she said.

Edwards has the Governor's Mansion decked out in its Christmas best this season with the understated elegance she prefers while paying homage to the state's unique culture.

"This is the state's home; I'm just blessed to be living in it temporarily," said Edwards, whose lease was renewed in 2019 after Gov. John Bel Edwards won reelection.

"This is public housing," she said. "It belongs to the people. My job while living here is to preserve what we have."

The mansion's largest of many inside Christmas trees stands in the drawing room in the opposite corner of another tree adorned with ornaments made from Louisiana students across the state.

Its spectacular spiral staircase banister is draped in garland galore in a room lit by a French Baccarat Crystal chandelier bought through private donations in 2018. It complements the Baccarat Crystal candelabras added to the mansion during Gov. Mike Foster's eight-year stay.

There is also an advent candle display representing the Christian Christmas calendar as well as a Hanukkah menorah "to celebrate our Jewish friends and honor their faith."

"Our family's hope is that the people who visit feel the sense of peace and joy of the season," the first lady said. "It's a time of Christ and giving."

Both Edwards and her husband said they are mindful Christmas can be a trying time for some and encouraged those who are able to serve others during the season.

“Donna and her team of volunteers do an outstanding job each year of making the mansion beautiful, and we truly enjoy being able to share it with others," the governor said in a statement. "But we also recognize that this can be a very difficult time of year for many of our citizens, so we always use this as an opportunity to raise awareness and do what we can to help.”

Greg Hilburn covers state politics for the USA TODAY Network of Louisiana. Follow him on Twitter @GregHilburn1

This article originally appeared on Lafayette Daily Advertiser: Merry Christmas from the Louisiana Governor's Mansion