Photo: ANDREW CABALLERO-REYNOLDS/AFP via Getty Images
First LadyJill Bidenand a team of over 100 volunteers have been hard at workdecking the halls of the White Housefor the holidays with 41 Christmas trees and 25 wreaths, 6,000 feet of ribbon, more than 300 candles, 10,000 ornaments and 78,750 lights.
The decorations — which will be revealed Monday at an event honoring National Guard service members and their families — are all part of this year’s theme: “Gifts from the Heart.”
In a letter to welcome visitors to the White House during the holiday season, Dr. Biden and her husband, PresidentJoe Bidenelaborated on the message behind the twinkling lights and colorful ornaments that hang from dozens of trees.
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“The things we hold sacred unite us and transcend distance, time, and even the constraints of a pandemic: faith, family, and friendship; a love of the arts, learning, and nature; gratitude, service, and community; unity and peace,” the couple wrote in acommemorative visitors' guide. “These are the gifts that tie together the heart strings of our lives. These are theGifts from the Heart.”
Decorations in various rooms of the White House will represent each of these gifts.
For example, the “gift of service” will be on display in the East Wing, which includes the Office of the First Lady.
In addition, the Gold Star Tree set up on the East Landing “honors the heroic women and men of our Nation’s military, who have laid down their lives for our country, and the families who carry on their legacies.”
The trees in that room are decorated with photos of first families who’ve lived in the White House throughout history.
“Each family who made this house a home reminds us all of the enduring love and lasting bonds of family,” according to the book.
This is also where the official White House Gingerbread House is located.
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“The display includes eight detailed replicas of community buildings representing frontline workers. To complete the finishing touches, the White House pastry team used 55 sheets of baked gingerbread, 120 pounds of pastillage, 35 pounds of chocolate, and 25 pounds of royal icing.”
One of the final decorative touches made to the gingerbread house was added at the request of Dr. Biden, a longtime educator: a gingerbread school teacher next to the school house.
Read more about the decorations in the various rooms of the White House in a digital copy of the2021 holiday tour book.
source: people.com
