The White House is aglow with festive decorations as President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden prepare to celebrate the holiday season with the theme of 'A Season of Peace and Light.' The first lady is scheduled to unveil the decorations and share a holiday message at a White House event.
Over the past week, hundreds of volunteers have adorned the White House's public spaces with an array of decorations, including nearly 10,000 feet of ribbon, over 28,000 ornaments, more than 2,200 doves, and approximately 165,000 lights on wreaths, garlands, and other displays. The mansion boasts a total of 83 Christmas trees, with the centerpiece being a towering Fraser fir from North Carolina in the Blue Room, anchored to the ceiling after the removal of the chandelier.
In a commemorative holiday guidebook distributed to visitors, the Bidens expressed their commitment to values such as faith, family, service to the country, kindness towards neighbors, and the importance of community and connection during this final holiday season at the White House. The executive mansion anticipates welcoming around 100,000 guests this month.
Visitors entering the White House will be greeted by a rotating starlight and a collection of bells symbolizing the sounds of the holidays as they traverse the East Colonnade hallway. The East Room features a reflective canopy on the ceiling and windows, creating the illusion of a peaceful snowfall, with silhouettes of people holding hands adorning the Christmas trees.
The Green Room showcases light shining through colored glass ornaments and prisms, while paper doves in the Red Room carry messages of peace. Doves are also suspended overhead in the Cross Hall. The Blue Room tree is adorned with a light-filled carousel featuring the names of every U.S. state, territory, and the District of Columbia.
In the State Dining Room, a starburst shines above the gingerbread White House, which includes a scene of people ice skating on the South Lawn. This intricate gingerbread creation, made with various ingredients, is for display purposes only and not meant to be consumed.
As part of the Joining Forces initiative to support military families, Jill Biden invited National Guard families to be the first members of the public to experience the holiday decor, honoring the Bidens' late son, Beau, who served in the Delaware Army National Guard.
