White House Christmas decorations celebrate "Gifts from the Heart"
CBSN
The White House is lit up for the 2021 holiday season. The theme of this year's decorations is "Gifts from the Heart."
This view shows the White House from the Ellipse, where the National Christmas Tree is surrounded by smaller trees representing the 50 states. President Joe Biden is reflected in a Christmas tree ornament while arriving to speak on COVID-19 in the State Dining Room of the White House on December 21, 2021. A gingerbread White House is displayed in the State Dining Room. The official 2021 White House Christmas tree, displayed in the Blue Room, is an 18-and-a-half foot Fraser fir from Jefferson, North Carolina. Christmas decorations in the Library of the White House on December 23, 2021. Photographs of current and past first couples adorn a Christmas tree in the State Dining Room of the White House. Christmas decorations in the Vermeil Room of the White House include a tree, wreaths in the windows and a garland over the fireplace. Members of the public look at Christmas decorations in the East Room of the White House during a tour on December 23, 2021. Holiday cards adorn a mantle in the East Room of the White House. The White House is illuminated and decorated with wreaths, with the National Christmas Tree lit up on the Ellipse, surrounded by smaller trees representing the 50 states. Christmas trees line the Cross Hall of the White House as members of the public tour the building on December 23, 2021. Christmas decorations are seen in the Cross Hall of the White House. People make their way through the East Colonnade of the White House, which is decked out with decorations honoring those who serve others. Members of the public view Christmas decorations in the Center Hall of the White House as part of a tour on December 23, 2021. Christmas decorations are seen in the China Room, which houses tableware used by past presidential families. President Joe Biden and first lady Jill Biden attend the National Tree Lighting Ceremony on the Ellipse, outside the White House in Washington, D.C., on December 2, 2021. A wider view of the scene as President Joe Biden delivers remarks at the National Tree Lighting Ceremony, on the Ellipse outside the White House, on December 2, 2021.
The White House says its pastry team used 55 sheets of baked gingerbread, 120 pounds of pastillage sugar-paste icing, 35 pounds of chocolate and 25 pounds of royal icing. Dating back to the Eisenhower administration, a large Christmas tree has been consistently featured in the Blue Room. The room was dedicated by President Franklin Delano Roosevelt to serve as the White House Library in 1935 and now holds approximately 2,700 volumes of books, focusing primarily on American history and literature. The East Room decorations celebrate "The Gift of Gratitude." "Iridescent doves and shooting stars illuminate the hallway, representing the peace and light brought to us all by the service of frontline workers and first responders during the pandemic," the White House said.
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