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President Biden and First Lady Jill Biden have revealed the theme for their first White House Christmas – and it’s inspired by the people they have met while traveling the country.
“Gifts of the Heart” is the theme for this year’s decor and it includes a massive gingerbread White House that recognizes the front-line workers who were at the forefront of the coronavirus pandemic.
“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 Bidens shared in a commemorative 2021 White House holiday guidebook. “These are the gifts that tie together the heart strings of our lives. These are the gifts from the heart.”
“As we celebrate our first holiday season in the White House, we are inspired by the Americans we have met across the country, time and again reminding us that our differences are precious and our similarities infinite,” the Bidens wrote. “We wish you a happy, healthy, and joyous holiday season. As we look to a new year full of possibility, may gifts from the heart light our path forward.”
According to USA Today, more than 100 volunteers helped to decorate the White House and the Oval Office with 41 Christmas trees (including an 18-foot Fraser fir), 6,000 feet of ribbon, and more than 10,000 ornaments.
79,000 lights illuminate the trees, garlands, and other holiday displays, and the exterior of the White House is adorned with twenty-five wreaths.
Sadly, public tours are still suspended due to the coronavirus pandemic, but videos, pictures, and other details about the decor can be found at WhiteHouse.gov/Holidays.