First lady Jill Biden will kick off the evergreen annual process of decking the White House halls on Monday afternoon when she receives the official 2021 White House Christmas tree.
After the tree arrives at the North Portico via jingle bell-bedecked horse and carriage and is inspected by the first lady — a merry tradition since 1966 — it will be placed in the oval-shaped Blue Room of the White House and decorated with a theme that will be unveiled after the Thanksgiving holiday.
“Every year, the room’s chandelier is removed to accommodate the Christmas tree’s full height,” the office of the first lady noted in a statement.
The arrival of the Christmas tree usually marks the kickoff of the White House’s annual holiday festivities, with a flurry of volunteers hauling out the holly and working through the Thanksgiving holiday to spruce up the people’s house into a winter wonderland. That process is traditionally overseen by the East Wing.
In an update to the annual tradition and a nod to the challenges of the past year, Biden will be joined by Captain Maryanne Harrell, her husband Levi, and children Levi II, Marcus, and Elliana, a DC Army National Guard family, to “honor the role of the National Guard in response to the Covid-19 pandemic” as well as to honor “all the National Guard families who are activated and spending these holidays apart,” according to her office.