Saturday, May 4, 2024

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

white house christmas tour 2023

The oval-shaped Blue Room is an elegant, handsome and inviting space that most would love to have in their own homes. It occupies the center of the White House, and its windows look out onto the South Lawn and toward the Washington and Jefferson monuments. The Blue Room is often used by the president to receive guests, but during Christmastime, this room proudly plays host to the official White House Christmas tree. When viewing the White House from outside, the 18-foot North Carolina-grown Fraser fir is easily seen through the South Portico. The next interesting encounter was the display of official White House Christmas cards from presidents over the past 91 years.

White House holiday decorations show the festive season through the ‘sparkling eyes of children'

Collecting and giving the official ornaments has become a holiday tradition for families across the United States and abroad. The China Room is decorated to become the "White House Sweet Shop." The White House expects to welcome approximately 100,000 visitors during the holiday season. “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.

PHOTOS: White House decks the halls with 2023 Christmas decorations

National Christmas Tree - The White House and President's Park (U.S - National Park Service

National Christmas Tree - The White House and President's Park (U.S.

Posted: Mon, 04 Dec 2023 08:00:00 GMT [source]

The dining room is also the customary stage for the gingerbread White House, made using 40 sheets each of sugar cookie dough and gingerbread dough, 90 pounds of pastillage, a cake decorating paste, 30 pounds of chocolate and 50 pounds of royal icing. Throughout the décor are numerous nods to the 200th anniversary of the publication in 1823 of the poem and book "'Twas the Night Before Christmas." A winter wonderland has arrived at the White House, as first lady Jill Biden unveiled this year's decorative theme for the Christmas season on Monday. Jill Biden said it was “so amazing” to see the Christmas tree atop the entrance to the East Wing when they returned Sunday night after spending the Thanksgiving holiday in Nantucket, Massachusetts. When you choose to apply (and are approved) for a new credit card through our site, we may receive compensation from our partners, and this may impact how or where these products appear.

The Ground Floor Corridor

She will be joined on the tour by Administration officials, members of Congress, local leaders, and other special guests. The White House released a fact sheet and was allowing the news media to see all the trees, lights and ornaments before the first lady’s event. National Guard families, who were joining Biden as part of Joining Forces, her White House initiative to show appreciation for military families, will be among the first members of the public to see the decorations. The Library of Congress provided samples of editions from the past 200 years that are on display along the ground floor corridor.

white house christmas tour 2023

The White House Announces Public Tours Will Resume A Full Operating Schedule

Flanking the stage are Christmas trees draped with whimsical handcrafted instruments and snare drums, inviting guests to sing their favorite holiday tune. 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. The National Christmas Tree, located in President’s Park, is scheduled to open to the public on Saturday, Dec. 2.

white house christmas tour 2023

Dr. Biden unveiled the decorations at a Monday event, announcing the theme of "Magic, Wonder, and Joy," and thanking the more than 300 volunteers who helped decorate the White House for the season. Dr. Biden also invited National Guard families to be the first members of the public to experience the decor. Within the 10 days prior to the public tour, anyone who has tested positive for COVID-19, has had any COVID-19 symptoms, or been in close contact with someone confirmed or suspected to have COVID-19, should stay home. Face masks will be available when entering the White House complex for those who choose to wear them. Congressional Tour Coordinators will be able to submit tour requests for the full operating schedule on Monday, June 27, 2022. The whimsical set of oversized decorations is meant to inspire the feelings of awe and wonder that put children on joyful edge during the holidays, White House aides said.

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. The Vice President’s tour is a continuation of her nonstop travel to communities across the country. This includes consistent travel to meet with small business owners and entrepreneurs in underserved communities to discuss challenges and opportunities they face.

Requests can be submitted up to three months in advance of your anticipated travel dates, which means you may be booking your trip to DC before you know if you will get approved for a White House visit. However, the sooner you apply the better, because the tours only allow a limited number of people each day. 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.

Vice President Kamala Harris Launches Nationwide Economic Opportunity Tour

In addition to this, we’ll also get a private sneak peek into the Gingerbread White House, filled with renditions of pieces right out of the book ‘Twas the Night Before Christmas, to celebrate its 200th anniversary. "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."

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. The China Room, which was first introduced as a display room by First Lady Edith Wilson in 1917, houses tableware used by past presidential families. Most presidents, beginning with George Washington, are represented by either a personal or State Service of porcelain, glass, or silver. Each piece recalls the State Dinners and celebratory meals that have brought together world leaders and diplomats. The decor of the Vermeil Room (French for gilded silver) represents the joy of music and performance during the holidays.

The EOC has already surpassed over $1 billion in increased member company deposits into community finance institutions. As a Senator, the Vice President partnered with key Congressional stakeholders to secure a transformative $12 billion investment for CDFIs and MDIs in December 2020. Since that time, she has worked to ensure these programs are as successful as possible. The White House will resume a full schedule of public tours starting Tuesday, about two years after they were suspended in 2020 because of the pandemic. First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy envisioned a restored White House that conveyed a sense of history through its decorative and fine arts. She sought to inspire Americans, especially children, to explore and engage with American history and its presidents.

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