First Lady Jill Biden Announces 2023 White House Holiday Theme:The Magic, Wonder, and Joy of the Holidays

Table Of Content

• Red Room
• Statues of the Bidens' pets, Commander and Willow, welcome guests to the East Wing.
• The theme of this year's White House Christmas decorations, chosen by first lady Dr. Jill Biden, is "We the People."
• PHOTOS: The 2023 White House Holiday Decor
• First Lady Jill Biden Announces 2023 White House Holiday Theme:The “Magic, Wonder, and Joy” of the Holidays

Among them will be French President Emmanuel Macron, who will meet with President Joe Biden at the White House on Thursday and be honored at a state dinner, the first of the Biden administration. This holiday, as you gather hand-in-hand and heart-to-heart around the dinner table, we hope the China Room inspires you to share healing laughs, comforting meals, and warm memories with loved ones, extending the Gift of Friendship and Sharing. Wrapping the branches of the room’s Christmas tree are garlands of intertwined hands symbolizing friendship, fellowship, and merriment. To celebrate the Gift of the Visual Arts, the Vermeil (French for “gilded silver”) Room glows with bright, bold, colorful paint brushes and paint swatches, representing the diverse American artists whose talents bring delight to all. From historic portraits to graphic art displays, from light installations to marble sculptures, from wood carvings to children’s handprint art, the visual arts bring us joy, calm our minds, and inspire our imaginations. The stunning tree celebrates cheerful scenes, landscapes, and neighborhoods from all across the country, with names of every state, territory, and the District of Columbia, showcased throughout the decor.

Red Room

The White House says its pastry team used 55 sheets of baked gingerbread, 120 pounds of pastillage sugar-paste icing, 35 pounds of chocolate and 25 pounds of royal icing. The display features a gingerbread hospital, police station, fire station, gas station, school, post office, and grocery store. The China Room displays tableware and china sets used by past presidential families. The Library decorations are dedicated to educators who "found ways to connect with students in new and innovative ways, pushing through the challenges of the pandemic," according to the White House Holiday Guide. The gold star ornaments feature the names and ranks of the fallen soldiers, as well as their dates of death. The theme of the White House Christmas decorations is chosen by the first lady every year.

Statues of the Bidens' pets, Commander and Willow, welcome guests to the East Wing.

A Christmas tree stands in the Red Room during a press preview of White House holiday decorations on Nov. 29. The official White House Christmas tree, an 18.5-foot-tall (5.6-meter-tall) Fraser fir, stands in its usual place in the Blue Room. The massive tree highlights cheerful scenes, landscapes and neighborhoods from across the country. “Each room is designed to capture this pure, unfiltered delight and imagination” so visitors “see this time of year through the wondrous, sparkling eyes of children,” the first lady said Monday at the first of a month’s worth of holiday receptions.

The theme of this year's White House Christmas decorations, chosen by first lady Dr. Jill Biden, is "We the People."

Each set reflects the presidents and first ladies who selected their designs and recalls the State Dinners and celebratory meals that have brought together world leaders and diplomats. Holiday greenery and red cardinals line the columns and beams of the East Wing Lobby. Many people believe that red cardinals signify the presence of lost loved ones.

National

The room was dedicated by President Franklin Delano Roosevelt to serve as the White House Library in 1935 and now holds approximately 2,700 volumes of books, focusing primarily on American history and literature. Dating back to the Eisenhower administration, a large Christmas tree has been consistently featured in the Blue Room. This view shows the White House from the Ellipse, where the National Christmas Tree is surrounded by smaller trees representing the 50 states. The room also displays a Nativity scene with over 40 figurines that dates back to the 18th century. The gold-star ornaments are engraved with service members' names, ranks, and dates of death.

First lady Jill Biden unveils 2023 White House holiday decor - ABC News

First lady Jill Biden unveils 2023 White House holiday decor.

Posted: Mon, 27 Nov 2023 08:00:00 GMT [source]

Illustrations of the Biden family’s pets—Commander and Willow—make a surprise appearance in the Vermeil Room, reminding us of the gift of unconditional love. One of the first Christmas trees visitors will see is decorated with wooden gold star ornaments engraved with the names of fallen service members. One of the first Christmas trees visitors see after entering the White House is decorated with wooden gold star ornaments engraved with the names of fallen service members. The decorations include more than 83,000 twinkling lights on trees, garlands, wreaths and other displays, 77 Christmas trees and 25 wreaths on the White House exterior. Volunteers also used more than 12,000 ornaments, just under 15,000 feet (4,500 meters) of ribbon and more than 1,600 bells.

The East Wing of the White House was expanded to its current form in 1942 and includes the Office of the First Lady. Thank you to children’s book illustrator, Raúl Colón, for his inspired artwork throughout this book, which perfectly captures the “Magic, Wonder, and Joy” of the holidays. Embodying the “Magic, Wonder, and Joy” of the holidays is Santa’s Workshop in the State Dining Room. Elves’ workbenches, stools, and ladders circle the Christmas trees, with tools and gifts-in-progress filling out the decor. Life-sized nutcrackers and dancing ballerinas flank the Christmas trees and reside within the window wells, with festive ribbons and gift tags lining the fireplace. At the center of the room is a mechanical theater creation with rotating United States Marine Band figures entertaining guests with herald trumpets.

When theatres and concert halls shut down during the pandemic, new apps and digital platforms allowed us all to join together virtually, keeping us connected with performers in joy, laughter, and awe when we needed it most. The Blue Room, featuring the Official White House Christmas Tree, celebrates the Gift of Peace and Unity. Cascading down the tree, peace doves carry a shimmering banner embossed with the names of each state and territory of the United States, reminding us all of the importance of unity and national harmony. This year, stacks of books as well as butterflies and birds made of recycled newspapers decorate the Library, reminding us that, with the Gift of Learning, we can soar to places we never imagined and rise to meet any challenge. Throughout the past year especially, we have all appreciated the Gift of Learning.

First lady Jill Biden unveils White House holiday decorations - CNN

First lady Jill Biden unveils White House holiday decorations.

Posted: Tue, 28 Nov 2023 08:00:00 GMT [source]

The first Christmas tree featured inside the White House is adorned with wooden Gold Star ornaments that are engraved with the names of fallen service members. The Gold Star tree honors the heroic men and women of our Nation’s military who have laid down their lives for our country, those who are Missing in Action, and the families who carry on their legacies. 83,615 lights were used to decorate the trees, garlands, wreaths, and displays in the White House.

"I don't know how you feel, but I feel it's just breathtaking," the first lady said to applause and cheers during an event unveiling the White House's holiday decorations. "The holidays offer a time for reflection and a break from our hurried lives, a season to be fully present with our friends and our families." The White House is lit up with the holiday spirit — more than 83,000 twinkling lights, to be precise.

Santa Claus in his sleigh and a team of reindeer fly through the columns of the Entrance Hall of the White House. The ornaments on the Gold Star Christmas tree are engraved with the names of military servicemen who have died. Closing out the 2023 White House holiday display is an incredible, eye-catching recreation of ’Twas the Night Before Christmas in the Grand Foyer. Arranged in the windows are colorful sprays of crystal and prisms, mixed with shimmering fabric and embroidered starbursts to reflect light. Colorful orchids, a favorite of First Lady Jill Biden, and holiday florals are incorporated throughout the room.

Hanging from the fireplace in the State Dining Room are the Biden family stockings, which will get filled with an orange in the toe — a tradition from the first lady's grandmother. The East Colonnade of the White House is decorated with winter trees, animals and lanterns. On Monday, first lady Jill Biden revealed this year's Christmas decorations, under the theme "We the People," which she selected months ago.

The State Dining Room has been transformed into Santa's workshop, with elves' workbenches, stools and ladders circling the Christmas trees and tools and gifts-in-progress rounding out the décor. Glowing candles and stained glass in the Green Room celebrate faith, and holiday craft-making is the theme in the Red Room, where a tradition of featuring cranberries continues. The State Dining Room has been transformed into Santa’s workshop, with elves’ workbenches, stools and ladders circling Christmas trees, and tools and gifts-in-progress rounding out the décor. An array of winter-themed Christmas decorations are on display at the White House in Washington, D.C. Christmas decorations are displayed in the Cross Hall of the White House on Nov. 28, 2022. The decorative trees lining the East Colonnade of the White House are intended to represent a first woodland snowfall.

Christmas decorations in the Vermeil Room of the White House include a tree, wreaths in the windows and a garland over the fireplace. "The hallway alcoves and tree displays depict wintry scenes of life within our towns and cities, reflecting the solace of faith, the lasting bonds of community, and the perseverance of the American spirit," the White House Holiday Guide reads. Morrison, who is the first female White House pastry chef, built the gingerbread White House with 55 sheets of baked gingerbread, 120 pounds of pastillage, 35 pounds of chocolate, and 25 pounds of royal icing. The Christmas trees on either side of the theater are decorated with instrument-shaped ornaments. The traditional Biden family stockings are hung from the fireplace mantel in the State Dining Room of the White House. He reflected on the "We the People" theme at the White House this holiday season, saying "we've come together in a spirit of joy," and that "our greatest strength is Americans standing united."

Every year, the Blue Room’s chandelier is removed to accommodate the Christmas tree’s full height. Each room and design element throughout the White House holiday display encourages you to embrace your inner child, indulge your senses, and delight in the “Magic, Wonder, and Joy” of the season. As the largest room in the White House, the East Room has hosted public receptions, ceremonies, bill signings, and other memorable occasions. It also features a portrait of President Theodore Roosevelt, who helped establish 150 national forests, 51 federal bird reserves, four national game preserves, five national parks, and 18 national monuments on over 230 million acres of public lands. Winter trees, handmade woodland animals, and glowing lanterns line the journey down the East Colonnade, evoking the feelings of peace and tranquility after the first snowfall. The entrance to the East Wing of the White House displays the "We the People" theme that first lady Jill Biden picked earlier this year.

With bright colors and three-dimensional elements, guests will gaze in wonder as they are taken on a delightful adventure around the tree. A replica of a vintage passenger train, on loan from the Train Collectors Association, magically weaves through the tree’s base. In the Grand Foyer and Cross Hall of the White House, metal ribbons are inscribed with the names of all the 57 states, territories, and the District of Columbia, and mark the year each entered the Union. Mirrored ornaments and reflective surfaces ensure that visitors can see themselves in the décor, noting that the strength of our country—the Soul of our Nation—comes from We the People. In the Red Room, towers of candles and glowing stained-glass windows reflect the comfort, peace, and strength we find in faith. It’s often in quiet, candlelit rooms when we can see most clearly and feel most connected to ourselves and the world around us.