Jill Biden Wants Holiday Visitors To Feel Like Kids Again

This year's theme, 'Magic, Wonder, and Joy,' permeates every corner of the historic residence, reported news agency AP.

"Each room is designed to capture this pure, unfiltered delight and imagination," the first lady stated during the first of a series of holiday receptions on Monday, expecting around 100,000 visitors for the season.

She expressed her amazement at the Christmas tree adorning the East Wing entrance upon their return from Thanksgiving in Nantucket, Massachusetts. The whimsical, oversized decorations throughout the public floors are crafted to inspire the awe and wonder that children experience during the holidays.

The décor pays homage to the 200th anniversary of the publication of the poem 'A Visit from St. Nicholas', commonly known as 'Twas the Night Before Christmas'.

The papier-maché reindeer suspended in the foyer are 'so cool', she said. “It's like they're leaping from the storybook's pages. I don't know how you feel about it. I feel it's just breathtaking.”

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Capturing pure delight and imagination

The traditional gingerbread White House includes a large sugar cookie replica of the book opened to a page that says “Merry Christmas to all, and to all a good night.” Santa's sleigh and reindeer also fly above the Cookie White House.

National Guard families, who joined the First Lady as part of her Joining Forces initiative to support military families, were among the first members of the public to see the decorations.?

Children of these and other military families were also treated to a performance by the cast of the North American tour of the Disney musical 'Frozen'.

Dazzling details across the White House

The official White House Christmas tree, an 18.5-foot-tall Fraser fir, stands in the Blue Room, adorned with cheerful scenes from across the country.

The State Dining Room has been transformed into Santa's workshop, with elves' workbenches, stools, and ladders circling Christmas trees, and tools and gifts-in-progress rounding out the décor.

The dining room is the customary stage for the gingerbread White House, which was assembled using 40 sheets of sugar cookie dough for the book and 40 sheets of gingerbread dough for the house, 90 pounds (41 kilograms) of pastillage, a cake decorating paste, 30 pounds (14 kilograms) of chocolate, and 50 pounds (23 kilograms) of royal icing.

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The library honors the tradition of bedtime stories with dangling golden moons and shimmering stars; the China Room has been turned into a sweet shop featuring baked goodies, and the Vermeil Room celebrates music with a display of rotating big Marine Band figurines with trumpets.

Glowing candles and stained glass in the Green Room celebrate faith, and holiday craft-making is the theme in the Red Room, where a tradition of featuring cranberries continues.

The official White House Menorah is on display in the Cross Hall connecting the State Dining Room and the East Room, which is decorated with trees and various advent calendars.

The décor also features likenesses of family cat Willow and dog Commander, who were recently sent away after multiple incidents of biting Secret Service personnel.

The overall décor features 98 Christmas trees, nearly 34,000 ornaments, over 22,000 bells, and more than 350 candles. Volunteer decorators and designers spent several days assembling the decorations, using nearly 142,500 lights, 15,000 feet of ribbon, and 72 wreaths to complete the festive display.