As the Bidens prepare to celebrate their last Christmas at the White House, First Lady Dr. Jill Biden welcomed visitors to experience her meticulously designed holiday decorations in a private tour.
Reflecting on her time as the first lady, Dr. Biden expressed that it has been a remarkable honor in her life. She hopes that visitors can sense the essence of American values such as faith, family, community, and kindness through the carefully curated holiday display.
For her fourth, and final Christmas at the White House, the First Lady chose the theme of “A Season of Peace and Light.”
In Dr. Biden’s words, “I tried to think of the values we have as Americans, and certainly it’s faith and family and community, and commitment to kindness.”
About 300 volunteers helped the first lady trim the 83 Christmas trees throughout the White House.
They strung the lights, hung the ribbons, and put up the garland, wreaths, and ornaments.
The annual gingerbread White House even has a working skating rink this year.
These are traditions Dr. Biden holds dear.
We asked how she’s feeling as she wraps up her time here.
“I’m feeling good,” Dr. Biden says. “I’m feeling that we’re ready for the next journey.”
Is rest part of the next journey?
“I don’t think so,” she laughs. “I think that Joe and I will continue to do the things that we’ve always been interested in. Of course, you know, he loves foreign policy,” she says. “He loves going around our country, meeting people and talking with them. I’m going to continue with what I’ve always done, education, military families and initiatives for women.”
Dr. Biden is still teaching at the college level, and just handed in this semester’s final grades last week.
She has added her little teacher touches around the East Wing, like portraits of school children from around the country.
“As an English teacher, and someone who loves reading, I also wanted to make sure that children could go into the library and feel welcome,” she says.
Featuring books for kids in the library is a first for the East Wing.
At the top of the display is her own children’s book called “Willow.” It’s about her cat, Willow, which she named for her time spent growing up in Willow Grove, Pennsylvania.
The trees in the State Dining Room are lined with orange slices, a nod to her Sicilian grandmother’s Christmas tradition of placing an orange in each stocking.
“We put the orange in the toe because my grandma grew up during the Depression,” Dr. Biden explains. “That piece of fruit was really valued, a luxury. I still do that in our stockings today.”
The Bidens will spend this final Christmas at the White House right here, with family.
They’ve picked up their personal and homemade Christmas ornaments from Wilmington, Delaware to trim their private tree.
As always, the president does the flocking.
“He likes to decorate the bows on the tree with the fake snow,” she says. “He mixes it all himself.”
The first family’s Christmas meal also follows tradition.
“I always have pasta for dinner and bracciole and meatballs,” she says, “the same things that we’ve always had for forever.”
On game day, there’s one thing our homegrown first couple also doesn’t miss: an Eagles game!
“My heart was with the Eagles when they won this weekend,” she says, saying the snacks were out and the whole family was watching the game.
For the first family, there are always reminders in the White House decor of their roots. This year, the official White House Christmas tree has a carousel wrapped around it, reminiscent of summers at the New Jersey shore.
The 18.5-foot Fraser Fir from North Carolina is in the East Wing’s Blue Room.
Before we said our goodbyes, Dr. Biden shared this holiday message for everyone back at home:
“I hope that they feel joy, the peace and the light of the holiday season with their own families and within their own hearts.”
The White House holiday tours for the public wrap up on December 23.
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