From Grandma's Stuffing to Jonas Bros: How Jill Biden Put Her Stamp on White House Holidays — in Time of Covid
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Official White House Photo by Erin Scott Jill Biden
From sharing favorite holiday recipes with country music star Trisha Yearwood to reading books with PBS Kids Characters, Dr. Jill Biden is celebrating the holidays at the White House in myriad ways, geared toward a wide swath of Americans, both young and old.
"It was important to the First Lady to bring the 'People's House' to as many people, on as many platforms, as possible during the holiday season, especially as we are still living in a pandemic," Dr. Biden's communications director, Elizabeth Alexander, tells PEOPLE. "She is being intentional about meeting people where they are, sharing her holiday message of gratitude, healing and unity, through a variety of historic and innovative ways."
This year's holiday festivities at the White House kicked off in late October, when Dr. Biden, 70, filmed a holiday special for the Food Network (now streaming on discovery+)alongside Yearwood.
A White House Thanksgiving — which aired Nov. 20 — saw the first lady cook some of her favorite family recipes, including Grandmom Jacobs' Savory Stuffing.
Brian David Photography Jill Biden (left), Trisha Yearwood
But the official kickoff to Christmas came Nov. 22, when the first lady received the White House Christmas tree alongside a local National Guard family (and her youngest grandchild, Beau).
Dr. Biden welcomed a younger audience into the White House Nov. 29, when she met PBS KIDS stars including the Kratt Brothers of Wild Kratts, Molly of Molly of Denali, and Daniel Tiger and Miss Elaina of Daniel Tiger's Neighborhood.
Official White House Photo by Erin Scott First Lady Jill Biden participates in a filming for PBS Kids
After her visit, the first lady read the book Winter is Here to a group of children and some of the show characters.
All three videos filmed that day are available to stream free on pbskids.org and the PBS KIDS Video app, Facebook and YouTube.
Official White House Photo by Erin Scott
Last week, another group of stars came to the White House to participate in the hour-long special In Performance at the White House: Spirit of the Season on PBS.
The special aired Dec. 20 and features appearances by the Jonas Brothers, Andrea Bocelli and his children, Camila Cabello, Eric Church and Pentatonix.
The diverse array of artists performed songs for the PBS special in historic White House rooms — including the East Room, the State Dining Room, and the Blue Room, home of the Official White House Christmas tree — to offer a closer look at the First Family's "Gifts from the Heart"-themed holiday installations currently on display.
A team of over 100 volunteers helped deck the halls of the White House for the holidays with 41 Christmas trees and 25 wreaths, 6,000 feet of ribbon, more than 300 candles, 10,000 ornaments and 78,750 lights.
Dr. Biden and her husband, President Joe Biden, elaborated on the message behind the twinkling lights and colorful ornaments that hang from dozens of trees, in a letter to welcome visitors to the White House during the holiday season.
"The things we hold sacred unite us and transcend distance, time, and even the constraints of a pandemic: faith, family, and friendship; a love of the arts, learning, and nature; gratitude, service, and community; unity and peace," the couple wrote in a commemorative visitors' guide. "These are the gifts that tie together the heart strings of our lives. These are the Gifts from the Heart."
Regional and specialty television anchors from the top 10 media markets received a special invitation to see the decor up close, with interviews from specialty media channels (including Univision, Telemundo and Black News Channel) scheduled to air later this week, on Thursday and Friday.
While entering the White House to see the decor up close isn't possible for most Americans, it's now easy to see from the comfort of home, thanks to a project by Google Maps, which created a 360-degree interior view of the White House Ground and State Floor. The decor is available to view on Google Maps, across Google social media, and on WhiteHouse.gov/holidays.
Social media users can also get in on the White House holiday fun thanks to Instagram and Snapchat, who have for the first time created unique White House-themed holiday filters and augmented reality features for all users to engage with in their own homes.
Dr. Biden herself launched the Instagram filter on Dec. 10, and Snapchat's holiday filter and augmented reality feature were unveiled Wednesday.
Also available to take in from home? A modern take on the classic yule log videos of yore, featuring two-hour YouTube videos of fireplace mantel displays (complete with crackling fires) in rooms throughout the White House.
