President Biden participated in the yearly tradition of lighting the Christmas tree at the Ellipse last Thursday, his final engagement in this festive ritual before he leaves the Oval Office next year.

Biden returned to the nation’s capital in the early hours of Thursday, after spending the early part of the week in Angola. Before his departure, he stirred controversy by granting a comprehensive pardon to his son, Hunter, who had previously been convicted on federal charges relating to drugs and firearms, and had admitted to tax charges. When questioned about the pardon earlier this week, the First Lady, who was present throughout Hunter Biden’s trial in Delaware, expressed her full support for the pardon of her son.

This year’s Christmas tree, a 35-foot Red Spruce, was sourced from the George Washington and Jefferson National Forests in Virginia. Additionally, 58 smaller trees decorated with student-designed ornaments from every state and territory complement the main tree.

The 102nd Tree Lighting Ceremony will feature performances by Mickey Guyton, Adam Blackstone, Stephen Sanchez, James Taylor, and Trisha Yearwood. The full ceremony will be aired on CBS on December 20.

In terms of White House holiday decorations for 2024, the tree lighting is a culmination of the transformation. This year’s theme is “A Season of Peace and Light.” First Lady Jill Biden unveiled the holiday decor in the East Room on Monday, thanking the volunteers who brought the winter wonderland to life.

“As we celebrate our last holiday season here in the White House, we are guided by the values we consider sacred: faith, family, and service to our country, kindness to all our neighbors, and the strength of community,” she said.

Over 300 volunteers from across the country used about 9,810 feet of ribbon, 28,125 ornaments, and 2,200 paper doves to decorate the White House.

The White House is expecting to host over 100,000 visitors during the holiday season. The First Lady welcomed families of National Guard members to be the first to view the decorations. Guests will be greeted by a Christmas tree dedicated to Gold Star families, representing all six branches of the military.

The first recorded Christmas tree in the White House was in 1889 during President Benjamin Harrison’s term. The tree was a simple affair, decorated with candles by President Harrison’s grandchildren.

The annual gingerbread White House is a creative blend of 25 sheets of gingerbread dough, 10 sheets of sugar cookie dough, 65 pounds of pastillage, 45 pounds of chocolate, 50 pounds of royal icing, and 10 pounds of gum paste, all sculpted into the form of 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue.

The holiday volunteers, including teachers, military families, nurses, and small business owners from across the US, all apply before being selected for decor duty. They arrived at the White House bright and early the day after Thanksgiving to start their festive tasks.

At the heart of the holiday decor inside the Blue Room is an 18 ½ foot Fraser Fir, donated by the Cartner Family of Cartner’s Christmas Tree Farm in North Carolina. The tree was one of the survivors of Hurricane Helene, which devastated thousands of others in the Blue Ridge Mountains. The owners named it “Tremendous” to honor the resilience of North Carolina communities affected by the hurricane.

In the state dining room, the Christmas tree features ornaments with self-portraits of students, including four from Alisa Cooper de Uribe’s first-grade class. De Uribe, a first-grade bilingual teacher at the New Mexico International School in Albuquerque and the 2021 New Mexico Teacher of the Year, was one of the holiday volunteers.