Remember Melania Trump? Lazy golddigger? The trophy wife? The one who lied on her green card application? The one who said she doesn’t give a sh-t about Christmas? Well, Melania Trump was not only a terrible First Lady, she also had terrible taste in Christmas decorations. Melania had to be dragged kicking and screaming into doing anything vaguely First Lady-ish, like “enjoying a festive holiday.” She once decorated with the White House with Blood Trees of Doom for Christmas.
Dr. Jill Biden isn’t like that at all. Dr. Biden is a professor with the heart and soul of an elementary-school teacher. She loves to decorate for every holiday. I imagine her Secret Service agents are already tired of her endless runs to the Dollar Tree and party-supply outlets. So we knew that Dr. Biden would enjoy decorating the White House for Christmas. And here we are!! Dr. Biden revealed the White House Christmas decorations on Monday and they are lovely and very comfortable and teacher-y. Dr. Biden’s Christmas theme was “Gifts From the Heart,” with special Christmas salutes to “faith, family, friendship, the arts, learning, nature, gratitude, service, community, peace, and unity.” I feel like crying!!
One of the biggest trees is in the Blue Room, and the tree was decorated to celebrate peace and unity, so there is a “garland” of peace doves on a banner with every US state and territory. There’s also “a gigantic gingerbread White House that recognizes front-line workers who persevered through the coronavirus pandemic.” Dr. Biden and her team of volunteers used more than 10,000 ornaments and over 2,000 yards of ribbon. She also had stockings hung for all of her grandchildren. Seriously, I love this for us. I love this for America.
Photos courtesy of Instagram, Getty.
We are still suffering trauma from the Melania years. I’m so grateful for Jill and the warmth and beauty of her Christmas decorations.
Thank heavens Melaniä’s decorations have been put back into the lowest level of the Grinch’s basement where they belong. Dr. Jill’s decorations feel like a Christmas gift to us all!
Yes, Melania’s decorations were very Tim Burton to me. Let them stay in storage!
It looks like they recycled everything they had in the warehouse. But that’s fine. It’s not a time for ostentatious spending or edgy public design. It looks homey and comforting.
They dug through all the old White House ornaments to keep the costs down. Much of the new stuff is made of paper. And there are a lot of very personal touches she brought from home.
They put a picture in the tree of donald trump anad melania. Mel had her face covered by a ribbon, we could see her face lol so funny. The WH courtiers did that im sure – they loved her so much lol
It’s a lovely contrast to the dystopian terror trees and joyless hellscape of Christmas during the Melania years.
That is some cozy and comforting decorating, Dr Biden is maybe my favorite person in the Biden White House.
Seeing Jill’s Christmas decorations reminds me of how hideous Melania’s were.
Dr Jill is a great woman.
And she clearly has compassion.
It’s just what I would expect from Jill Biden: traditional, homy, and yes, very teacher-y. The gingerbread house is a nice touch.
The gingerbread house is a White House tradition started by Pat Nixon. This is the first time it has included other buildings, because Dr Biden strives for inclusivity.
All guests to the White House receive gingerbread cookies incorporating the year’s theme. This year the cookie is a frosted dove-shaped gingerbread. This was also a tradition Pat Nixon started.
I love it all, and I love Dr. Jill for giving us a White House Christmas that is sweet and wholesome and beautiful. She is such a welcome relief from the trauma of the past 4 years.
+1
I’ve been trying to put my finger on it and I think the biggest difference is that these decorations look like they were chosen / coordinated by someone who celebrates the holidays. It is a bigger, more luxe version of Grandma’s house done up for Christmas and I mean that in the best way.
I agree! It’s not my vibe, but I appreciate how wholesome it is. Love the doves too!
One thing about Jill -apart from the beautiful, down-to-earth, girl-next-door vibes she has- her aura is so pure. Without even meeting her, I can just tell that she has good energy oozing all around her. She just seems like the sort of person you run into that brings a string of good luck into your life. A truly good woman!
She’s definitely a good egg.
I think it’s lovely.
I have a thing for cozy Christmas decorations. That last photo with the lit garlands over the archways is just gorgeous. So nice to see the White House looking cheery and festive instead of looking like the hotel in The Shining.
Lol, yes, it was like Christmas at The Overlook.
I do too, I love classic holiday decorations. This looks cozy and wonderful. I’m sure the White House staff are relieved and happy.
I love the archways, too. It feels magical.
It looks gorgeous – warm, inviting, there’s some nostalgia there for me, it just reminds me of our house growing up (I mean on a bigger scale, haha.) I love the stockings for the grandchildren.
There have been so many things over the past few weeks especially that I’m just like, neither Trump nor Melania would ever. Like Biden and Dr. Jill visiting small stores over the weekend and buying things, and looking so happy and charmed to be there.
The contrast is so startling, it feels like we were all living in Oz the last few years. Witches, flying monkeys, cowardly lions and all.
everyone in Oz had a heart, tho. but I see yr point!
It is so lovely to have taste and class and decency back in the White House.
I love every room, every detail, every thought put into this year’s theme and can only imagine the pleasure and joy involved in making it happen. I have had to decrease my time and exposure to the news coming out of the US, it was becoming overwhelming. In a sad and depressing way. But this. This I clambered to see, and I knew it would lift my spirits. Dr. Biden and her team had a big responsibility, they knew eyes would be upon them, that even Christmas decorations have become a political issue.
Happiest of all the season wished to you that come here to celebrate being bitchy. Take comfort in that which surrounds you, and find peace and joy in the little things.♥️
Awww, the same to you, TeeBee, & all us Celebætsches! <3
I can’t imagine how fun and magical it would be to decorate the White House for Christmas. Melania just saw it as a chore and her choices were cold and horrendous.
Jill is classic and cosy while putting real thought and heart into those themes.
Lovely return to the colours of Christmas and tradition. Feels good!
I love the way this looks. That being said, I’m really not that bothered by Melania’s indifference to Christmas decorations. It is kind of a trite thing to worry about. I’m not saying she’s on the right side of history, but if she really was in agreement that there was a crisis (albeit manufactured) going on in our country, why shouldn’t she snub Christmas decorations.
ETA: Melania is a terrible human being. I just can’t care about her not caring about Christmas decorations.
I disagree. The White House belongs to the people, and it’s expected that the First Lady is custodian of it. In other words, she has a responsibility to set the tone for the nation, to offer hope even in the darkest times.
We had four years of the Snow Queen and Goblin King. It’s nice to have a homey Christmas.
Not all the people celebrate Christmas.
As a non-Christian, “the people’s house” doesn’t reflect me.
Fair enough. I believe the Biden White House will celebrate the holiday season, not just the Christmas season.
I am also non-Christian, but I celebrate the idea of Christmas, of peace on earth, good will towards all.
I agree, Merricat, and I’m not Christian. Growing up, we had a Christmas tree every year, as did our fellow Non-Christian friends and family. The season is about love, family, giving and hope. The Christmas tree is one symbol of those ideals, and you don’t have to be Christian to believe in them.
The White House does set the tone, and I’m glad she understood the importance of it.
I’m not Christian and I’m not offended. The decorations aren’t super focused on the religious aspects of Christmas. I mean come on…everyone can celebrate community, family, friendship, the arts, learning, nature, gratitude, service, peace, and unity, even non-believers. They celebrate “faith” generally, not Christian-specific. They don’t have big murals of Jesus, they have gingerbread hospitals.
They are also having a menorah lighting ceremony on Dec. 1st. I’m not Jewish, but I don’t feel excluded or offended.
It was just one more thing on the list of stuff Melania couldn’t be bothered to do. I’m not all that bothered that the role of First Spouse is an unpaid gig with lots of work because it comes with lots of perks, too. It was just that she couldn’t be bothered to do hardly anything unless she got paid for it. Tacky af.
Christmas is tough for me, as it is very religious and I’m very not, and it’s Eurocentric, materialistic, and overhyped, and I personally just can’t. I hope they also decorate equally and celebrate equally for Kwanzaa and Hanukkah — yeah, something tells me they do not. But I will take boring / trite / sappy / basic / WASP-y all day long from Dr. Jill, because the Trumps’ soulless fascism was on a whole ‘nother level.
” I hope they also decorate equally and celebrate equally for Kwanzaa and Hanukkah — yeah, something tells me they do not”
Ummm, they are having a Menorah lighting ceremony on Dec. 1st. 😉
I would love to walk around and spend a few days just taking it all in. Oh so beautiful.
Beautiful homey and comforting. The opposite of the hellscape trees for the previous past few years.
It gives me Home Alone vibes… 😀
Never thought I would get feel good teary at decorating of 1600, but here we are.
I think the spirit of the season can be celebrated by everyone in one way or another, christian or not. The origins of many Christmas traditions are varied, some of them pagan. Some christians complain that Christ is too often left out of Christmas, but his basic teachings are generally something that can be accepted by everyone even if you don’t believe in him as a saviour. The general feeling of goodwill, and the celebration of family and friends is pretty secular.
I’m not religious and I love Christmas decorations. I was brought up Christian but the holiday has long stopped holding any connection to being a religious celebration for me or my family.
I love the warmth in Dr. Biden’s decorations.
Same. I am not Christian nor was I brought up in a religious environment but I LOVE Christmas. For me it’s childhood wonder and nostalgia, pure Americana. People around the world celebrate Christmas differently and Christmas can be a time of inclusion even if you aren’t Christian.
That said I still say “happy holidays”.
Nothing to do with the Christmas decorations, but is that a frilly trompe l’oeil wallpaper border that matches the curtains in the blue room? It’s bringing me lots of ’80s joy!
Wow, these pictures made me a bit emotional for some reason. I love that they recycled some of the older décor, it exudes so much warmth and comfort. I feel like no matter our political affiliation or feelings about Joe Biden, we can all agree that Dr. Jill is freaking amazing. She’s just so warm and intelligent. I really trust her.
I just love how classic and warm and friendly Dr. Jill’s Christmas is. The Melania years were a punishment. Dr. Jill’s decor is a true celebration. We didn’t even need the word “heart” in the theme — the results say it a thousand times over. Thank you for saving Christmas, Dr. Jill.
The Decoration Cannon was set to DEFCON 1, and I absolutely love it. The grandkid stockings warm my heart.
I love this and I love her! My favorites are the stockings (adorable) and I actually love the more abstract window hangings with blue circles with doves along with the stars illuminated by the lights in the hallway. Peace on Earth, indeed
Really nice to see warm, cheerful holiday decor in the White House again.
Ok y’all are gonna come for me but…
I actually liked the red trees. And the other witch forest looking decorations that the ex flotus did. (NOTE: I did not then, and will never ever like she-who-shall-not-be-named. Ever.)
Yes. My taste in Christmas (which I really don’t like anyway) is gothic and medieval so…
Having said that, I think Dr. FLOTUS did it just right. It brings a sense of home, of comfort and it wipes away what she-who-shall-not-be-named did to the people’s house.
I stan Dr. FLOTUS all day every day
Finally, some real Christmas warmth, love and tradition. As a fembot, Melania had no idea how to do a real Christmas setting. She didn’t “do” warmth or love and her only tradition was, “me first, last and always.” Finally a real human in the White House to get Christmas (and so many other matters) right.
Ok, I am a lil confused. I thought it was clear from posts throughout the last years that professional decorators decorate the WH and they present decor concepts to FLOTUS and her team who then decide on the motto and look? I don’t think the WH has all the decor from all the years saved with Jill Biden crawling through attics or buying ornaments from Dollar Tree? As much as I love decorating, this is as bad as making Hilary bake cookies because she is a woman. Dr. Biden is a busy professional and made wonderful choices for the decor, hopefully together with her husband, but this is the 21st century and she maybe shouldn’t be looked at as the home maker of the WH but a contributing force in her husband’s presidency. It may have taken Melania months to plan this, but I am taking a wild guess Dr. Biden made quick choices and asked for the decor to look like something she would have liked in her home -because she had other fish to fry.
It looks beautiful and family-friendly at the same time. I wouldn’t think it a bad thing if she repeated the decor during the 4 yr run.