Deck the White House halls: Jill Biden wants holiday visitors to feel like kids again

Step inside the White House during the holidays by walking beneath the branches of a Christmas tree. Stroll along a hallway decorated with oversized holiday candy and other sweets. See Santa’s sleigh and his eight reindeer suspended above the grand foyer in dramatic fashion. Jill Biden wants everyone who visits the White House during the holidays to feel like a kid again. “Each room is designed to capture this pure, unfiltered delight and imagination” so visitors “see this time of year through the wondrous, sparkling eyes of children,” the first lady said at the first of a month's worth of holiday receptions. About 100,000 visitors are expected for the holidays. “Magic, Wonder and Joy” is the theme this year, President Joe Biden's third in the White House.  The whimsical set of oversized decorations is meant to inspire the feelings of awe and wonder that put children on a joyful edge during the holidays, White House aides said. The first lady unveiled a holiday ice rink on the White House lawn. The White House did not release information about how the rink will be used. 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.” Ninety-eight Christmas trees, nearly 34,000 ornaments, over 22,000 bells, and more than 350 candles were used in the décor, according to the White House. Nearly 142,500 lights illuminate trees, garlands, wreaths, and other displays, and nearly 15,000 feet (4,600 meters) of ribbon are part of it all. Seventy-two wreaths sporting red ribbons adorn the north and south exteriors of the building. Some 300 volunteer decorators and designers spent a few days gathering decorations from a warehouse. They spent three days putting the decorations in their proper places. This article was provided by The Associated Press.