President Biden will take part in the annual Christmas tree lighting on the Ellipse on Thursday, the last time he will take part in the annual tradition before leaving the White House next year.
Mr Biden returned to the White House early on Thursday after serving time beginning of the week in Angola. Before he left, he caused a firestorm when he found a far-reaching pardon for his sonHunter, who was convicted of federal drug and gun charges and pleaded guilty to tax charges. When asked about the pardon earlier this week, the first lady, who attended Hunter Biden’s trial in Delaware every day, said “of course I support my son’s pardon.”
This year’s Christmas tree is a 35-foot red spruce from the George Washington and Jefferson National Forests in Virginia. A collection of 58 smaller trees are decorated with student-designed ornaments from every state and territory.
The 102nd Tree Lighting Ceremony will be hosted by Mickey Guyton with performances by Adam Blackstone, Stephen Sanchez, James Taylor and Trisha Yearwood. Viewers can watch the full ceremony on CBS on December 20.
White House Christmas Decorations for 2024
Official White House photo by Erin Scott
The tree lighting is the final part of the White House’s holiday transformation, with this year’s theme being “A Season of Peace and Light.”
First lady Jill Biden unveiled the Christmas decor in the East Room on Monday and spoke with volunteers who brought the winter wonderland to life.
“As we celebrate our final holidays here at the White House, we are guided by the values we hold sacred: faith, family and service to our country, kindness to all our neighbors and the power of community,” she said. said.
It will take more than 300 volunteers from across the country, along with approximately 10,000 feet of ribbon, 28,125 ornaments and 2,200 paper doves to decorate the halls of the White House.
Official White House photo by Erin Scott
The White House expects to welcome more than 100,000 visitors during the holidays. The first lady welcomed families of National Guard members on Tuesday to be the first to view the awards. Upon arrival, visitors will see a Christmas tree dedicated to Gold Star families with six stacked stars representing all six branches of the military. In the East Colonnade, guests are surrounded by bells “symbolizing the peaceful sounds of the holidays.” In the East Room, a reflective canopy next to the chandeliers twinkles like snowfall while two large Christmas trees guard the main entrance.
The first known Christmas tree in the White House was in 1889 during the Benjamin Harrison administration, according to the White House. It was a much smaller affair, with only a Christmas tree in the second floor Oval Room, decorated with candles by President Harrison’s grandchildren.
The annual gingerbread White House manages to combine 25 sheets of gingerbread dough, 10 sheets of sugar cookie dough, 65 pounds of pastillage, 45 pounds of chocolate, 50 pounds of royal icing, and 10 pounds of gum paste into the shape of 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue.
Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images
Volunteers who bring the decorations to life
Alisa Cooper de Uribe, a bilingual first-grade teacher at New Mexico International School in Albuquerque and the 2021 New Mexico Teacher of the Year, was among the volunteers who collected the thousands of doves. She traveled with her family to Washington, DC to be part of the White House decorating team.
“It’s a sisterhood, a brotherhood. There was a very collegial atmosphere,” Cooper de Uribe told CBS News. “And that was one of the things that really impressed me: how so many people had come together without any knowledge of each other, how well these people work together.”
The holiday volunteers include teachers, military families, nurses and small business owners from across the country who all apply before being selected for decorating duty. The day after Thanksgiving, volunteers arrived at the White House bright and early to begin a full day of glitter and streamers before the first lady unveiled all their work. The Office of the First Lady sent special invitations to State Teachers of the Year winners, like Uribe, to join the tradition of volunteering during the holidays. Some volunteers formed text chains and Facebook groups, intending to stay in touch long after the ornaments are removed.
Centerpiece of the holiday decor
The centerpiece of the holiday decor in the Blue Room is an 18-foot Fraser fir that comes from the Cartner family of Cartner’s Christmas Tree Farm in North Carolina. The tree was one of the survivors as thousands of others were devastated when Hurricane Helene hit the Blue Ridge Mountains. The owners called it “Amazing” in tribute to the resilience of North Carolina communities affected by Hurricane Helene.
In the state dining hall, decorations hang on the Christmas tree with self-portraits of students, including four of De Uribe’s first graders.
“It was an opportunity for the students to see themselves reflected in the White House and in this season, and that it is their place, and it is their opportunity to bring their individual and unique selves and their culture to light in their portraits,” said de Uribe. said.
