Dr. Jill Biden doesn’t just have Big Mom Energy, she also has Big Teacher Energy. Teacher Energy manifests itself in different ways, but one thing is pretty consistent: teachers love holiday decorations. Dr. Biden is well-known for loving all holidays, especially Valentine’s Day. But of course she’s all about Christmas too. It’s tradition that the First Lady’s office organizes the White House Christmas decorations. Almost always – I think it was different during the Trump years? – volunteers come into the White House to decorate for Christmas. During the Obama years, most of the volunteers were selected via lottery, with a priority given to military families. I believe the Bidens do the same. Melania Trump didn’t give a f–k about Christmas and her annual Christmas decorations were always a low point, especially the Blood Trees of Doom.
Well, this year, the Biden White House absolutely looks like a teacher was in charge of the Christmas Decorations Committee. I love Jill so much. The decorations are beautiful, albeit a little bit dated and old-fashioned. Some of these photos look like they came from the Reagan administration, I’m just saying! I bet Dr. Jill had a fantastic time doing this with all of the volunteers. I bet she’s trying to scheme a way to get some volunteers into the White House in February so that they can go all out for V-Day.
It’s official, the White House is ready for the holidays. pic.twitter.com/QJqKdFMola
— President Biden (@POTUS) November 28, 2022
The holidays have arrived!🎄 pic.twitter.com/78XnLZ1Ms7
— Jill Biden (@FLOTUS) November 28, 2022
Photos courtesy of the Backgrid, White House/FLOTUS.
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- Washington, DC – United States President Joe Biden, left, and first lady Dr. Jill Biden, right, pet their dog, a German Shepherd puppy named ‘Commander’, while virtually meeting with United States military service members on Christmas Day, in the Eisenhower Executive Office Building on the White House complex in Washington, DC, USA. Pictured: Joe Biden, Jill Biden BACKGRID USA 25 DECEMBER 2021 BYLINE MUST READ: MediaPunch / BACKGRID USA: +1 310 798 9111 / usasales@backgrid.com UK: +44 208 344 2007 / uksales@backgrid.com *UK Clients – Pictures Containing Children Please Pixelate Face Prior To Publication*
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- Washington, DC – United States President Joe Biden, left, and first lady Dr. Jill Biden, right, pet their dog, a German Shepherd puppy named ‘Commander’, while virtually meeting with United States military service members on Christmas Day, in the Eisenhower Executive Office Building on the White House complex in Washington, DC, USA. Pictured: Joe Biden, Jill Biden BACKGRID USA 25 DECEMBER 2021 BYLINE MUST READ: MediaPunch / BACKGRID USA: +1 310 798 9111 / usasales@backgrid.com UK: +44 208 344 2007 / uksales@backgrid.com *UK Clients – Pictures Containing Children Please Pixelate Face Prior To Publication*
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- Washington, DC – United States President Joe Biden, left, and first lady Dr. Jill Biden, right, pet their dog, a German Shepherd puppy named ‘Commander’, while virtually meeting with United States military service members on Christmas Day, in the Eisenhower Executive Office Building on the White House complex in Washington, DC, USA. Pictured: Joe Biden, Jill Biden BACKGRID USA 25 DECEMBER 2021 BYLINE MUST READ: MediaPunch / BACKGRID USA: +1 310 798 9111 / usasales@backgrid.com UK: +44 208 344 2007 / uksales@backgrid.com *UK Clients – Pictures Containing Children Please Pixelate Face Prior To Publication*
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- Washington, DC – President Joe Biden and first lady Dr. Jill Biden host a celebration in observance of Black History Month in the East Room of the White House. Black federal, state and local government officials as well as Civil Rights leaders are in attendance. Pictured: Jill Biden BACKGRID USA 28 FEBRUARY 2022 BYLINE MUST READ: MediaPunch / BACKGRID USA: +1 310 798 9111 / usasales@backgrid.com UK: +44 208 344 2007 / uksales@backgrid.com *UK Clients – Pictures Containing Children Please Pixelate Face Prior To Publication*
*squeals*
Y’all, I LOVE IT. I’m so happy. I don’t care if they’re a bit dated, I prefer the term traditional 🙂
Yeah the traditional vibe is kind of cozy, huh? I really like it too. Especiallly the doorframe treatments, those are really cool – love that “We the People” one.
The doorframe treatments were my absolute favorite. The one with what looked like cut wood bells was delightful.
As a child of the 80’s, I love it! Good, traditional Christmas cheer. None of the Kardashian/Trump sterile tackiness.
Disclaimer: I hit up a few location auctions this year to buy boxes of super old-fashioned glass ornaments, like the ones I remember from childhood. Now my 1-year-old gets to have the same sense of wonder.
Would those be Shiny Brite ornaments by chance? I loved them, and the colors were psychedelic 60’s and 70’s fab, at least in our house. We had antifreeze green, flamingo pink, turquoise, purple. Not exactly super traditional holiday decor, but gosh did I love them as a kid. Fragile as all get out though. The super thin glass they were made of shattered into a million pieces if you looked at them funny. We lost a bunch one year when my mom dropped an entire crate of them down a flight of stairs. Those that survived are like precious gems to me.
My initial reaction was huh, this looks… exactly like Christmas in the 80s/90s… which I don’t dislike? But is it underwhelming?
But you nailed it on the head that “dated” is just another word for “traditional”, and I feel like this is emblematic of the Biden Administration generally – after living through so much crazy, normalcy seems jarring!
100%, Elle. Mass appeal, inoffensive, brings a sense of familiar comfort. Just what was promised.
I like the thought that they just dug around in the basement and found the old stuff and put it up. Like most people do.
I’ve been to the WH during Christmas time and the pic often don’t do it justice. Up close the trees are stunning – you get to see the Themes in each decoration.
The First Lady’s role is heavily hosting and Dr. Jill loves doing that in America’s house.
So many beautiful trees. Must be nice.
She has really encapsulated the spirit of the holiday season! Suck it Melania!!
I think its very grand and fitting for the White House. That frame of ornaments around the door is amazing! I wonder if that came in one piece or if they had to place each individual ornament? I wonder if we will get a TV special so we can get a tour?
You’re so right! Dr Jill is many fabulous things and teacher always shines through. I wonder if she used many decorations that were already there, that’s definitely a teacher thing to do. It’s just the best having the Biden’s reside in our house.
Love love love them and I love the theme of “We the People”, angry republicans don’t own that phrase.
Yes! So appropriate and pretty too. Something very nostalgic about it.
Speaking personally, as a young married person with my first tree I choose the satin balls that were popular at the time in red, yellow and blue. Then we adopted an orphan raccoon who would drag off the ornaments and run to the bathtub where there was always a little water to play in and that’s when I discovered that the ornaments were made of Styrofoam! When the kids were in their prime making ornaments years it was sort of red and green by default. I reinvented the tree when the divorce happened and it was mostly glittery stars in neon pink, green, purple, turquoise with silver reindeer. I loved that for a long time, but now I have a dozen largish mercury glass pumpkins that are so perfectly simple and beautiful! I hang everything colorful on the vines around the front door and leave a lot of it up all year, I just take down the glittery ones in February.
Janetdr, that sounds beautiful. My tree is about half candy canes because they are cheap to buy and so pretty to decorate with.
unpopular opinion: I liked weird AF Melania’s decorations…
not sure why the only acceptable option is Hallmark movie aesthetic
Because it’s the White House. Honor the history, tradition and sanctity of that space and give Americans what they want. Melania’s experimental shit is fine for her own house but really never belonged in the WH. Most people want classic, not modern.
Or, you know, just be cognizant of the existing esthetic and ornament already in the space and try not to clash with it.
Which is exactly what Jill Biden.
Maggie, I would love myself some Tim Burton-esque weirdness, but I hardly think it’s appropriate for the WH, y’know? For some reason I don’t think my love of the Krampus would translate well for the masses. Or Baba Yaga!
praying for the day we have an “eldritch Yule” white house xmas
i liked Melania’s decorations in the sense that they accurately reflected the uncanny valley of that presidency
it would have been off-brand to do normal decorations instead of a bonkers nouveau riche hellscape aesthetic
@ellev “bonkers nouveau riche hellscape aesthetic” lol nailed it.
I like classic Christmas decorations and colors but this does feel dated and very 80s to me. Something about all the blue and gold.
I’m with you, I prefer Melania’s trying something different, these are cosy and familiar though, but give me small town, sad mall vibes
Not a fan of Melania in any way though….
I didn’t mind melania’s Christmas decorations except for the year of the red Christmas trees. Doing something different isn’t bad when it’s done well. But those weren’t even done well. They were just red murder trees.
I just looked at those again with Kaiser’s link. Yikes! Red murder trees, indeed!
Some of Melania’s decorations were okay for a more modern style house. The White House, however, is not that. The more traditional look here goes better with the architecture and style of the house.
It’s classy but also traditional and kinda boring yet SO much better than Melania’s hellscape. Also, I feel like you should play it safe in this situation. Like, she might not choose this style for herself in her own home but this style very much suits the White House. Pretty.
I love it! Some of the decorations ARE old fashioned but my goodness it’s so comforting! I love the homey, loving and family feel that the Biden’s bring to the office and really appreciate the Big mom energy that she brings.
It’s kind of 90s Starbucks-meets-Pier1 in a John Hughes movie?
I loooove old fashioned Christmas decorations, so I think this looks amazing!
Sometimes when people do their xmas decorations more artistic or to serve a certain aesthetic I can see the beauty but it feels a little cold – to me, but I totally understand why people like it! But it does mean that I really love decorations like these ones. It looks so cozy and traditional as others have said.
I like when xmas is colourful and not all white/blue or white/gold or blood trees of doom lol. I understand and appreciate the artistic beauty but I prefer a cozy Christmas vibe for myself. I have a number of antique ornaments from my Mom and Grandma and I just love how my trees look with them. I really appreciate the colours Jill chose, this all looks great!
It’s funny to read different opinions. People would probably not love my decorations because they are a mish-mass of my childhood (70’s and 80’s), stuff that my kids have made (early 2000’s) and some other odds and ends. I am very sentimental and being surrounded by these memories makes me happy.
FWIW I love the way the Biden’s decorated.
Aw, I love this. I agree that this is what belongs in the White House. I get that Melania was trying to be all edgy but it was too much for the White House. I wish Jill was my mom. LOL.
For a minute, I thought that candelabra was a menorah, but no. So many trees! Anyone count?
There is a menorah elsewhere in the WH. There were articles about it.
After the horror of previous years – old fashioned, warming and familiar is very welcoming.
This also looks like it was put together with family in mind. The grand kids will LOVE it.
I love the cluster of “snow” covered evergreens. Trying to think of how I can incorporate the idea at home.
My grandmother was German, our family has a close relationship to Johann Wanner, who has not only send decorations to the White House under Hilary Clinton, but also decorated the Christmas tree in the Vatican.
THIS is the Christmas I grew up with, the decorations I know. It’s old-fashioned, but we enjoy it. My sister and I make a habit of giving each other one small glass ornament each Christmas, so that when we‘re old, we‘re having quite the collection ourselves.
This year, she‘s getting colourful carrots.
PS: I think I saw a picture of the White House that looked like a snowy forest? Looked beautiful!
My boss’ wife, as a military spouse, is a volunteer every year and it was no different during the Trump years. I know the decorations changed but I’m not sure the process changed at all.
At least that one simple but important thing didn’t get ruined.
I love all of this! Christmas is when I want traditional, not cutting edge. It’s when I put out the ornaments I’ve collected for years, all the needlepoint ones I have made, and most importantly the ones my children made. My sons are grown now, but I have seen them point out to their own children those ornaments they made in elementary school. That’s what Dr. Jill’s trees look like to me…as if it would not be surprising to see children’s popsicle stick ornaments tucked into the branches.
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I’m generally indifferent to xmas decorations. Although I do enjoy festive lights on cold nights, but I really appreciate the positioning of the Constitution to recenter the narrative on our nation and not just one person’s individual taste. (In another context, I wouldn’t have even hated TFG’s wife’s gothic horror of an xmas display, but White House decorations are not an appropriate outlet for the First Lady’s marital strife.)
I love these decorations. They’re not just pretty but meaningful.
I follow Martha Stewart’s brand on Insta, and there was an uproar because the account suggested that we all update our Christmas decor and pitch “outdated” trends like ornaments of too many colors, winter wonderland motifs, and tree skirts. I just LOL’d. My Christmas trees are adorned with ornaments I’ve collected and been given over decades; some were made by my kids in preschool. I love every single one of them.
I’m not planning to use unexpected colors or carefully curated ornaments.
I’m with Jill’s big mom/big teacher energy re Christmas.
I really love that they included a handcrafted menorah this year and that the decorations are so cozy. I see what she did there with the books as ornaments theme!
I love the Hanukkah nod too!!!
It’s traditional, maybe dated, and certainly not overly creative or daring – and I love it. It’s classic Christmas, comfortably, homey, and not trying to be edgy or cool or anything other than a nice display.
This is what Christmas is supposed to look like.
It’s comforting to see the White House Christmas decorations go back to normal. Though I might secretly miss the “Uzbekistani casino at 3am” vibe Melanoma brought to the holiday proceedings just because it was so f*cking bonkers. Lol
Uzbekistan casino 3am lol, you nailed it.
Love Dr Jill’s decor.
How good it is to have a real First Lady again and a real President again. So thankful. Things have gotten pretty bad for me to think this.
I love a OTT traditional Xmas hall like this!
Remember when Melania was forced to get on a plane to visit the children her husband put in cages? Remember the trash jacket she wore, “I really don’t care, do U?” Her maggot worshippers said the jacket was no big deal and meant nothing. Yeah, right. See, that was a first lady (no capitals deserved) who honestly didn’t give two shits about anyone but herself and her son and didn’t care who knew it. Disgusting but not surprising.