President Biden and First Lady Jill Biden deliver a message of “peace and light” to the country as they unveil this year’s holiday theme and decorations at the White House and mark their final season at the presidential mansion.

Jill Biden on Monday unveiled this year’s White House holiday theme, a “Season of Peace and Light.” The idea behind the theme, according to the White House, is to reflect the more than 100,000 visitors who come through the doors of 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. during the holiday season. to encourage people to “enjoy the peace and light of the Christmas season.”

More than 300 volunteers worked for a week to decorate the halls and much of the White House. This year’s look includes 83 Christmas trees, more than 9,800 feet of ribbons and over 28,000 ornaments, as well as more than 165,000 Christmas lights.

Highlights of the White House’s Christmas makeover include: a collection of bells hanging in the East Colonnade, symbolizing the “peaceful sounds of the holiday season,” a carb-heavy display in the China Room with a scene depicting a baker’s bench, and handmade bread to ” to remind guests of the peaceful, patient and loving process of bread baking,” a tree dedicated to Gold Star families with the names of fallen service members written on its ornaments are, a reflective canopy in the East Room that “wraps the ceiling and windows, enveloping guests in a peaceful snowfall” and a “cascade of peace doves flying over” the Cross Hall.

This year’s White House Gingerbread House features a glowing starburst and a “happy scene of ice skaters on the South Lawn.” The giant edible confection was made from 25 sheets of gingerbread dough, 10 sheets of sugar cookie dough, 45 pounds of chocolate and 50 pounds of frosting.

“As we celebrate our final holidays here at the White House, we are guided by the values ​​we hold sacred: faith, family, service to our country, kindness to our neighbors, and the power of community and connection,” the Bidens said in a statement included in a welcome letter to visitors as part of the White House vacation guide.

“It has been the honor of our lives to serve as your President and First Lady,” the couple said.

“We hope the nation will be blessed with the peace and light of the holidays. We wish you a Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays.”

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Find the latest news, weather, sports and streaming videos on The Hill.