Government & Politics

White House unveils its holiday decor, including 77 trees and a 'We the People' theme

By Deepa Shivaram

Published November 28, 2022 at 12:31 PM EST

The State Dining Room of the White House is decorated for the holiday season with stockings for family members of President Biden and First Lady Jill Biden.

Updated November 28, 2022 at 1:35 PM ET

It's starting to look a lot like Christmas at the White House.

On Monday, first lady Jill Biden revealed this year's Christmas decorations, under the theme "We the People," which she selected months ago. The White House says more than 150 volunteers came together to decorate the building over the course of a week.

"The values that unite us can be found all around you, a belief in possibility and optimism and unity," the first lady said Monday. "Room by room we represent what brings us together during the holidays."

The White House Christmas tree is on display in the Blue Room of the White House. According to the White House, the room's chandelier is removed every year to accommodate the Christmas tree's full height.

In the State Dining Room is this year's Gingerbread White House, and next to it, a sugar cookie replica of Independence Hall in Philadelphia.

Around the White House are 77 Christmas trees, 25 wreaths and more than 83,615 holiday lights, according to the first lady's office. This year's Gingerbread White House also incorporates a cookie model of Independence Hall in Philadelphia; together the creation weighs 300 pounds, which includes 100 pounds of pastillage, a thick sugar paste, as well as 30 pounds of chocolate and 40 pounds of royal icing, according to White House pastry chef Susan Morrison.

The White House says some of the boxes in the Vermeil Room are from Operation Gratitude, a nonprofit that delivers care packages to troops, first responders and military families.

The East Colonnade of the White House is decorated with winter trees, animals and lanterns.

Adhering to the theme, the White House has also put on display in the library a copy of the Declaration of Independence that was printed in 1845 and was later gifted to the White House.

Woven into the decor are some Biden family traditions, too. Hanging from the fireplace in the State Dining Room are the Biden family stockings, which will get filled with an orange in the toe — a tradition from the first lady's grandmother.

President Biden's dog Commander and cat Willow are displayed in various parts of the White House Christmas decor.

The entrance to the East Wing of the White House displays the "We the People" theme that first lady Jill Biden picked earlier this year.

A copy of first lady Jill Biden's apple crisp recipe card is part of the decor on a fireplace mantel in the China Room. The White House says volunteers who helped decorate also contributed recipe cards on display.

The Red Room is decorated with orchids, one of the first lady's favorite flowers — as well as fresh cranberries, which has been a White House tradition since 1975.