Deck the halls! Take a tour of the 2023 White House Christmas decorations

Table Of Content

• The White House Historical Association Announces Official 2023 White House Christmas Ornament
• Visit The White House
• The Green Room
• Deck the halls! Take a tour of the 2023 White House Christmas decorations
• First Lady Jill Biden Announces 2023 White House Holiday Theme:The “Magic, Wonder, and Joy” of the Holidays

The official White House Christmas tree, an 18.5-foot-tall (5.6-meter-tall) Fraser fir, takes its usual place in the Blue Room, where the chandelier has to be taken down in order to accommodate its height. The massive tree this year celebrates cheerful scenes, landscapes and neighborhoods from across the country. Nearly 15,000 feet of ribbon, more than 350 candles and over 22,000 bells were used for the decorations, the White House said. The State Dining Room has been transformed into Santa's workshop, with elves' workbenches, stools and ladders circling the Christmas trees and tools and gifts-in-progress rounding out the décor. The official White House Christmas tree, an 18.5-foot-tall Fraser fir, takes its usual place in the Blue Room, where the chandelier has to be taken down to accommodate its height.

The White House Historical Association Announces Official 2023 White House Christmas Ornament

Flanking the stage are Christmas trees draped with whimsical handcrafted instruments and snare drums, inviting guests to sing their favorite holiday tune. Each room and design element throughout the White House holiday display encourages you to embrace your inner child, indulge your senses, and delight in the “Magic, Wonder, and Joy” of the season. The National Christmas Tree, located in President’s Park, is scheduled to open to the public on Saturday, Dec. 2.

Visit The White House

The official White House Christmas tree, an 18.5-foot-tall (5.6-meter-tall) Fraser fir, stands in its usual place in the Blue Room. The massive tree highlights cheerful scenes, landscapes and neighborhoods from across the country. Next, we ascended to the state floor via a significant wooden stairway to the East Room, the largest and most utilized room in the Executive Mansion. It has been the site of press conferences, Medal of Honor presentation ceremonies, entertainment, weddings, funerals and even a senior prom. Large chandeliers, grandiose garlanded mirrors and gold-hued drapes elegantly highlighted the room while two 14-foot fir trees flanked a traditional Nativity scene that was in its 51st year of display.

The Green Room

See Santa’s sleigh and his eight reindeer suspended above the grand foyer in dramatic fashion. Thousands of red ornaments lined the hallway and graced the trees' deep green branches. The scene was so rich with Christmas spirit that we fully expected Bing Crosby and Rosemary Clooney to come out from behind the trees singing "White Christmas" at any second. The projected light on the ceiling added sparkle and pizzazz to a room that was already a full holiday palette. The presidential seal rising above the multilayered décor was a popular photo op for all.

Deck the halls! Take a tour of the 2023 White House Christmas decorations

Arranged in the windows are colorful sprays of crystal and prisms, mixed with shimmering fabric and embroidered starbursts to reflect light. Colorful orchids, a favorite of First Lady Jill Biden, and holiday florals are incorporated throughout the room. The China Room, which was first introduced as a display room by First Lady Edith Wilson in 1917, houses tableware used by past presidential families. Most presidents, beginning with George Washington, are represented by either a personal or State Service of porcelain, glass, or silver. Each piece recalls the State Dinners and celebratory meals that have brought together world leaders and diplomats. The decor of the Vermeil Room (French for gilded silver) represents the joy of music and performance during the holidays.

The Red Room

Face masks will also be made available for visitors who want them, though use will be optional. The only ornament of its kind, the Official White House Christmas Ornament is produced by the White House Historical Association, a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization, and made in America by a veteran-founded business. Each ornament helps fund the work of the Association’s historians, researchers, and educators to open the doors to the rich history of the “people’s house” for millions of Americans. To book a White House tour, you can contact your Member of Congress and Congressional Tour Coordinator. Seventy-two wreaths sporting red ribbons adorn the north and south exteriors of the White House. The official White House Menorah is on display in the Cross Hall, which runs between the State Dining Room and the East Room.

The dining room is also the customary stage for the gingerbread White House, made using 40 sheets each of sugar cookie dough and gingerbread dough, 90 pounds of pastillage, a cake decorating paste, 30 pounds of chocolate and 50 pounds of royal icing. Throughout the décor are numerous nods to the 200th anniversary of the publication in 1823 of the poem and book "'Twas the Night Before Christmas." A winter wonderland has arrived at the White House, as first lady Jill Biden unveiled this year's decorative theme for the Christmas season on Monday. Jill Biden said it was “so amazing” to see the Christmas tree atop the entrance to the East Wing when they returned Sunday night after spending the Thanksgiving holiday in Nantucket, Massachusetts. When you choose to apply (and are approved) for a new credit card through our site, we may receive compensation from our partners, and this may impact how or where these products appear.

White House Christmas Trees Through the Years

Embodying the “Magic, Wonder, and Joy” of the holidays is Santa’s Workshop in the State Dining Room. Elves’ workbenches, stools, and ladders circle the Christmas trees, with tools and gifts-in-progress filling out the decor. Life-sized nutcrackers and dancing ballerinas flank the Christmas trees and reside within the window wells, with festive ribbons and gift tags lining the fireplace. The Vice President’s tour is a continuation of her nonstop travel to communities across the country. This includes consistent travel to meet with small business owners and entrepreneurs in underserved communities to discuss challenges and opportunities they face.

First Lady Jill Biden Announces 2023 White House Holiday Theme:The “Magic, Wonder, and Joy” of the Holidays

The festive Pathway of Peace and national tree will be free to visit and open to the public through Jan. 1, 2024. Nearly 15,000 feet (4,600 meters) of ribbon, more than 350 candles and over 22,000 bells were used for the decorations, the White House said. More than 142,425 lights twinkle on trees, garlands, wreaths and other displays.

The ornaments on the Gold Star Christmas tree are engraved with the names of military servicemen who have died. We spent part of one evening at the National Christmas Tree located on The Ellipse between the White House and Washington Monument. The tree is surrounded by 56 smaller trees that border a winding walkway and represent each state and territory. Trains are also an integral part of the National Tree display, with multiple sets surrounding the tree's base. Live entertainment is frequently offered, and at dusk, the atmosphere is magical as the red and green lights of the tree glow in the foreground with either the lights of the White House or the evening sky in the background.

In addition to this, we’ll also get a private sneak peek into the Gingerbread White House, filled with renditions of pieces right out of the book ‘Twas the Night Before Christmas, to celebrate its 200th anniversary. "I don't know how you feel, but I feel it's just breathtaking," the first lady said to applause and cheers during an event unveiling the White House's holiday decorations. "The holidays offer a time for reflection and a break from our hurried lives, a season to be fully present with our friends and our families."

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They will now be offered Tuesdays through Saturdays, excluding federal holidays. Anyone is welcome to walk around the outside of the White House; wreaths, lights and other holiday decor are usually visible from The Ellipse and Lafayette Square. Santa Claus in his sleigh and a team of reindeer fly through the columns of the Entrance Hall of the White House.

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To avoid spending extra time, money and an additional night in the DC area, we ponied up $200+ each for a United nonstop evening flight home from Washington National directly to our home airport in Houston. It wasn't a great deal financially, but maximized our time and energy during the busy holiday season. To arrange a White House visit, you need to contact the office of your congressional representative.

This year’s tree is an 18½ foot Fraser Fir from Fleetwood, North Carolina and stands floor to ceiling, filling the oval room. Every year, the Blue Room’s chandelier is removed to accommodate the Christmas tree’s full height. "But it's in these times, when we are searching for hope and healing, that we need those points of light the most, that we need each other the most," she said. "It's in these times that I hope you remember, if even just for a moment or a season, how you saw the world as a child." In her prepared remarks, the first lady said she knows that magic, wonder and joy can be hard to find, especially as the days grow shorter, the weather turns colder "and our hearts grow heavy in the face of a tumultuous world."

Requests can be submitted up to three months in advance of your anticipated travel dates, which means you may be booking your trip to DC before you know if you will get approved for a White House visit. However, the sooner you apply the better, because the tours only allow a limited number of people each day. Thank you to children’s book illustrator, Raúl Colón, for his inspired artwork throughout this book, which perfectly captures the “Magic, Wonder, and Joy” of the holidays.

She will be joined on the tour by Administration officials, members of Congress, local leaders, and other special guests. The White House released a fact sheet and was allowing the news media to see all the trees, lights and ornaments before the first lady’s event. National Guard families, who were joining Biden as part of Joining Forces, her White House initiative to show appreciation for military families, will be among the first members of the public to see the decorations. The Library of Congress provided samples of editions from the past 200 years that are on display along the ground floor corridor.