A look at all the Bidens' White House Christmases
WASHINGTON - Each year the White House is decked out for the Christmas Holiday, reflecting a new theme.
This year, the White House was decorated with the help of 300 volunteers from across the country, who assisted First Lady Jill Biden for a week to create a holly jolly experience and highlight the 2024 theme, "A Season of Peace and Light."
As Biden’s term nears its end, here’s a look back at the Bidens’ White House Christmases over the past four years.
2024: A Season of Peace and Light
This year, volunteers used nearly 10,000 feet of ribbon, more than 28,000 ornaments, over 2,200 paper doves and about 165,000 lights.
"This would not be possible without your work," the first lady said. "It's been incredible to watch all of you transform this space year after year, and you traded time with families for hours of gluing."
White House Christmas tree selected from Helene-ravaged North Carolina farm
A tree farm in western North Carolina will provide the White House’s Christmas tree from what was a hard-hit area of the state during Hurricane Helene. The owner of Cartner’s Christmas Tree Farm in Newland, North Carolina, said they have never been selected to supply the nation’s Christmas tree, but doing so is an honor not only for the family but also for the entire region.
She recently welcomed National Guard families to the White House, offering them a first glimpse of the holiday decorations.
This year’s festive display featured a grand Christmas tree, surrounded by a whimsical carousel, with brass bells and sleigh bells adorning a hallway. Above, the ceiling was designed to evoke the beauty of falling snowflakes.
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As guests entered the White House, they were greeted by a rotating starlight and led to the Gold Star tree, a tribute to the families of fallen service members. The tree, crafted from six gold-toned stars, represented the six branches of the military.
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In the State Dining Room, a starburst crafted from sugar shines above a massive gingerbread replica of the White House. The scene also includes snow-covered South Grounds, adorned with twinkling mini trees and an ice-skating rink on the South Lawn.
2023: Magic, Wonder, and Joy
In 2023, the first lady announced the theme for the White House Holiday Season: the "Magic, Wonder, and Joy" of the Holidays.
(Credit: WhiteHouse.Gov)
The 2023 White House holiday theme was inspired by how children experience this festive season: completely present in the beauty and bounty around them, their senses alight, with hearts open to the "Magic, Wonder, and Joy" of the holidays," the president and first lady wrote in a welcome letter. "In this season of reflection and goodwill, we hope you will embrace your inner child and delight in simply being present with those you love."
(Credit: WhiteHouse.Gov)
They continued: "It is a time for our senses to awaken—for each of us to smell the aroma of favorite family recipes, to hear the warmth of a dear friend’s voice, to see the glow of lights and decorations, to taste the sweetness of candies and treats, and to feel the quiet stillness and strength of faith."
Each room and design element throughout the White House holiday was displayed to encourage guests to embrace their inner child, indulge in their senses, and delight in the "Magic, Wonder, and Joy" of the season.
2022: We the People
In 2022, the White House was lit up with more than 83,000 twinkling lights to encapsulate the theme selected for the year: "We the People."
The first lady’s holiday theme featured White House decorations designed for "the people" to see themselves in the tree ornaments, mantel displays, mirrors and do-it-yourself creations that turned the mansion’s public spaces into a winter wonderland.
Christmas ornaments of self portraits by the students of the 2021 Teachers of the year from across the country decorate the Christmas trees in the State Dining Room of the White House on Monday November 28, 2022. The Holidays at The White House 2022
"The soul of our nation is, and has always been, ‘We the People,’" the first lady said at a White House event honoring the volunteers who decorated the space. "And that is what inspired this year’s White House holiday decoration."
"The values that unite us can be found all around you, a belief in possibility and optimism and unity," she said. "Room by room, we represent what brings us together during the holidays and throughout the year."
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Public rooms were dedicated to unifying forces: honoring and remembering deceased loved ones, words and stories, kindness and gratitude, food and traditions, nature and recreation, songs and sounds, unity and hope, faith and light, and children.
2021: Gifts from the Heart
Inspired by the small acts of kindness and experiences that lifted people’s spirits in 2021 and throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, rooms throughout the White House were decorated to reflect the Gifts from the Heart that unite everyone.
The Bidens began their 2021 White House holiday decor honoring the Gift of Service.
(Credit: WhiteHouse.Gov)
"This year has been defined by uncommon acts of compassion, bravery, and selflessness by so many, and we celebrate their service and sacrifice," the Bidens wrote in a statement.
(Credit: WhiteHouse.Gov)
Throughout the East Colonnade, iridescent doves and shooting stars illuminated the hallway, representing the peace and light brought to everyone by the service of frontline workers and first responders during the pandemic.