White House Christmas (2022)

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White House Christmas (2022)

Post by bunniefuu »

Okay,

put up 77 Christmas trees,

hang 83,000 lights,

hang garland,

place 12,000 ornaments,

16,000 bells,

and hang 25 wreaths.

This house has a lot of work.

Don't forget

the gingerbread house,

I promised the First Lady

we'd have it done

before she's back.

-Really?

-Yeah.

[Jonathan] There's not

a moment to waste.

-We have a deadline today.

-Well, I was gonna ask

if you needed any help.

-[Toni] We're gonna be

working down to the wire.

-It's a lot of pressure.

[Jonathan yelling] I thought

we ordered the big tree!

We've got three days

to turn the White House

into a winter wonderland.

We've got three days

to turn the White House

into a winter wonderland.

And HGTV is here to show you

every square inch of it.

You'll get an up-close

and personal look

at this year's theme,

We the People.

This year's display celebrates

what brings us together.

[Jonathan] Decorating the most

famous house in America

is no easy feat.

We're going up. Yes!

Zooey and I will have to

divide and conquer...

Yep, wait, wrong way.

...to make this the most

magical and unforgettable

White House Christmas yet.

Wow, this is

an incredible room.

Wow, this is

an incredible room.

[Jonathan] This is the largest

gingerbread house

I've ever seen in my life.

[all cheering]

[Jonathan] And once

everything is in place,

the First Lady herself

will give us a guided tour

of her vision come to life.

We the People.

It's so warm, and inviting,

and puts you

in the holiday spirit.

We come together with unity,

that's what I tried

to represent here.

[Jonathan] This is

White House Christmas 2022.

[all] Happy Holidays

from the White House.

-[Jonathan] All right.

-[Zooey] Wow.

[Jonathan] Oh-ho-ho-ho.

-[Zooey] This looks beautiful.

-Holy Smokes.

[Zooey] Already looks so nice.

[Jonathan] This is incredible.

There is a lot to do.

Do you think that we can

do this in 72 hours?

I mean,

there's 150 volunteers.

Plus us.

We're gonna get it done.

[Jonathan] I feel like

there's even more at stake

this year though

[Jonathan] I feel like

there's even more at stake

this year though

because this is the first year

since the pandemic

where they're allowing

the public to come back

through for tours.

So it is gonna be bustling

with holiday spirit.

Lotta people, lotta pressure.

We better get this done.

But before we can jump in,

we need to get

our marching orders

and I know just the man

to give them to us.

[Jonathan] Hey, Carlos.

Welcome to the White House.

So nice to see you.

-Happy holidays.

-Thank you so much

for having us.

-Of course.

-You look so calm

for the busiest guy.

Well, thank you.

[Zooey] Carlos Elizondo

is the White House

Social Secretary.

[Zooey] Carlos Elizondo

is the White House

Social Secretary.

It's his job to bring

the First Lady's vision

to life.

The First Lady's overall theme

this year is We the People.

Each room and design element

is intended to represent

what brings us together.

After all,

this is the People's House.

It's something

that I take very seriously

because we help create

the magic for every American

that walks into this house.

So we are at a point

where it's crunch time

to get ready for the arrival

of the First Family.

Pressure's on.

[Zooey] So are you gonna

put us to work?

[Zooey] So are you gonna

put us to work?

'Cause it feels like

there's a lot of work to do.

I don't just walk around

with my tool belt on,

I was told,

"Wear the tool belt."

[Carlos] As a matter

of fact, yes.

The theme

in the State Dining Room

this year is We the Children.

So, while the volunteers

start decorating,

we need your help

building and painting

some storybooks.

-I think the carpenter shop

is waiting for you, Jonathan.

-Okay.

And, Zooey,

I think they want you

-in the Calligraphy's Office.

-Calligraphy, got it.

Yep, wait, wrong way.

-[Zooey] Oh.

-I think it's this way.

-[Jonathan chuckles]

-There ya go. Thanks, guys.

This is so exciting.

I'm headed to

the White House woodshop.

This is, like, my candy shop.

Hey, hey!

-Pleasure to meet you, sir.

-Nice to meet ya.

I'm Robert Thompson,

Chief Carpenter

at the White House.

This is literally my dream,

to have a woodshop,

get hands on, build furniture.

I do build furniture still.

Obviously,

you build furniture too.

Yep. This is the original

bill signing table.

It's made out of

original White House wood.

-[Jonathan] Is this literally

the one that is used--

-Used currently today, yep.

-[Jonathan] Is this literally

the one that is used--

-Used currently today, yep.

-[Jonathan] Every bill

is signed on this table?

- Yes, sir.

Where can I carve

"Jonathan was here"?

Am I allowed?

If you actually look,

my name's actually

underneath of it.

[Jonathan] Oh, wow.

[Robert] We got one more

thing left on the list,

that's to make the, uh,

children's storybooks, here.

This is for

the State Dining Room, right?

-[Robert] Yep.

-All right, let's do it.

This is part of the structure

that we're gonna be doing.

-What I call ribs.

-All right.

So, we're making the frame.

We'll have the bendable

plywood on the inside,

that looks like the pages.

We'll have the bendable

plywood on the inside,

that looks like the pages.

Once it's all painted,

it will, literally,

look like a storybook.

Zooey's gonna take this...

with the calligraphy team

and then put the story

onto the book.

-Hi, are you Lee Ann?

-Hello.

I am.

-This is the White House

Calligraphy Office, yes.

-Amazing.

You do all the calligraphy

for all the dinners,

the invitations,

the place cards...

-[Lee Ann] Proclamations.

-...that is a huge job.

Yes. We want everyone to feel

like they are an honored guest

when they come here.

Yes. We want everyone to feel

like they are an honored guest

when they come here.

-Okay. So, I know

you're doing storybooks.

-We are.

The theme of the year,

as you know, is We the People.

So, this year,

State Dining Room

is We the Children.

[Zooey] I love that.

I've got some corner elements

that need to be

filled in here.

Yes, I like doing, you know,

coloring books and stuff

with my kids.

-You're in good shape then.

-Perfect.

This is a lot of pressure.

Whoo.

Better do a good job here.

[Robert] You can actually

start to see the story

come together.

[Robert] You can actually

start to see the story

come together.

[Jonathan] This is

a pretty special thing for me.

How many craftsmen get to

actually work in the most

famous house in America?

I mean, this is amazing.

-Look what I have here.

-[chuckles] You wanna

do it right now.

-[Robert] Sure.

-Handmade with love.

[Lee Ann] We can use

a little help back here.

These are gonna

be tree stands

that go in the library

-What a good idea.

-And, yes.

So, they're all

made out of wood.

I just paint them,

and then, do the details.

-Oh, I can do that.

-So... Yeah.

-Oh, I can do that.

-So... Yeah.

[Zooey] So, tell me about

the Calligraphy Offices'.

What level of clearance

do you guys have?

Because you must be addressing

some very high-level people.

We have sufficient

clearance, yes.

[Becky] We have to say

it's top-secret, yes.

[Zooey] We won't tell.

[Robert] Before you leave,

I have a tradition

we're gonna share with you.

[Jonathan] Hey,

you're working on a menorah.

-This is brand-new?

You just made it?

-[Lawrence] Yeah, yep.

You can see the rings

on the side of the wood.

That's really old wood.

-[Lawrence] It was part of

the first renovation.

-[Jonathan] Wait, what?

-[Lawrence] It was part of

the first renovation.

-[Jonathan] Wait, what?

-This is original wood

to the White House...

-This is original wood.

-...that you've pulled out

to make a menorah out of?

-Yeah.

[Jonathan] Has there never

been a menorah before

in the White House?

There has, but we borrowed it

from synagogues around.

Really the holidays

are about family, faith,

gathering, community,

this is gonna be amazing.

-This is what it's about.

-Thank you so much.

I might pop in

every now and then.

[Robert] Okay.

Please come back.

So, you guys

are making some trees

So, you guys

are making some trees

-that have the names

of all the states.

-[volunteer] Yes.

They look so beautiful.

I love these banners.

[volunteer] Juanita's

been making these

awesome, little,

reflective mirror

ornaments here.

You can just

glue them together,

it's a great

family craft idea.

Give you an opportunity

to see your reflection.

'Cause when you walk up

you go, "Me!"

It definitely goes

with the theme We the People.

-I am the people.

-[Zooey] Yes.

It makes you feel

bigger than life.

[Jonathan] This is

the Colonnade, which is just

a fancy word for hallway.

It connects

the actual White House

to the East Wing.

It connects

the actual White House

to the East Wing.

And it is absolutely

being transformed

into, what will be,

a pretty incredible

winter wonderland.

Ethan is the designer

who's pulling it all together.

Hey, hey

-What's happening, man?

-Hey, Jonathan.

[Jonathan] This is nuts.

When I first walked in,

literally, the whole way

over here I'm thinking,

"This is real birchbark."

This is not real,

this is paper.

Hand painted bristle paper.

And we wrapped it around

these cardboard tubes

with these steel cores.

There's two things

I'm really good at,

changing lightbulbs,

and putting things

into high places.

and putting things

into high places.

[grunting] This is,

like, antlers.

[Ethan] And there we go,

it's on.

[Jonathan] Do you put another

piece on to cover it?

-Yeah. We've got

another piece right here.

-Amazing.

Once the snowy forest

is complete,

the East Colonnade

will give visitors a sense

of peace and tranquility

as they begin their journey

through the People's House.

We have two different

kinds of snow.

We're gonna be using

reflective mirrors

and we have pom-poms,

and they're gonna

create a canopy

to emphasize that magical feel

of walking through a forest.

to emphasize that magical feel

of walking through a forest.

The house is really

coming together,

it looks fantastic,

but so much to do.

And I still

have to find Zooey.

At one end of the Cross Hall

is the East Room,

the largest reception room

at the White House.

[Zooey] What?

-Look at this handsome guy.

-Welcome to our crew.

- You made it to the East Room.

-[Zooey] I made it

to the East Room.

-Are you just walking around

like a kid in a candy store?

-Yes.

[Jonathan] This year,

the East Room is dedicated

to nature and recreation,

and will be transformed

into a snowy scene

and will be transformed

into a snowy scene

from some of our country's

national parks.

We're spackling styrofoam

balls and we're making them

look like snowballs.

We just dust 'em with this,

it's relatively simple

and not very expensive.

[Jonathan] At the other end

of the Cross Hall

is the State Dining Room

which serves as a banquet hall

for official events.

[Zooey] Can you imagine

having a dinner party in here?

[Jonathan] This year,

the room celebrates

the holiday season

[Jonathan] This year,

the room celebrates

the holiday season

through the eyes of children.

-Hello.

-[Zooey] Hi.

-[volunteers] Hey.

-[Zooey] This is wonderful.

-[volunteer] Thank you.

-[Vanessa Bahena] These are

our DIYed ornaments,

hand drawn by students

across the US.

And we hand cut

all of this confetti.

You know you can buy

confetti already cut, right?

-[Vanessa] But nothing

like handmade, right?

-[Jonathan] So cool.

The State Dining Room

will also be home

to the large storybooks

that Zooey and I

helped create.

Where will the storybooks go?

[volunteer] The large

storybooks will go in front

of the fireplace.

[Jonathan] This is great.

[Jonathan] This is great.

-You guys are doing

a beautiful job.

-[Zooey] Looks amazing.

You're miniature artists

from all over the country

are doing a great job.

-[Zooey] Pretty spectacular.

-Pretty spectacular.

Every little detail.

Do you think we could get

all of these guys

to help at our house?

-[Zooey] Oh, definitely.

-Yeah.

Coming up...

We get our first look

at the official White House

Christmas tree.

[Jonathan yelling] I thought

we ordered the big tree!

With history...

I'm noticing something,

very famous,

over your shoulder.

...and holiday spirit

around every corner.

-Deck the halls...

-With boughs of holly

And later, the First Lady

And later, the First Lady

gives us a personal tour

of her vision of unity

come to life.

I'm so happy you're here.

[Jonathan] The magical

makeover continues

as volunteers

from far and wide

unite to transform

the White House

into a winter wonderland.

There's a lot going on here.

[volunteer] Together

we hope that

the First Lady

feels the warmth,

and the love

that she envisioned.

She treats the People's House

as the People's House.

Hey, Jonathan. I've been

looking for the tallest man

in the White House,

I need some assistance here.

-We want me to do

some garland up there? Sure.

-Come on up.

All right. Here we are.

Whoo. You want me

to hold it and you tie it?

All right, I thought I had

a lot of garland at our house,

this is a lot of garland.

All right.

And now I'm flocked.

[chuckles]

All right.

And now I'm flocked.

[chuckles]

That's crooked.

So temped to slide down

this rail. [chuckles]

Where's the Blue Room?

-The Blue Room

is right there.

-Ahh.

I'm heading to the Blue Room

which represents unity

and hope this year.

In this room,

it's all about the official

White House Christmas tree.

[chuckling] Wow!

[Jonathan yelling] I thought

we ordered the big tree!

[Jonathan yelling] I thought

we ordered the big tree!

[all laughing]

That is incredible.

This year's tree

is an impressive 18.5 foot

Concolor Fir

from Auburn, Pennsylvania.

This is the official

White House tree?

-This is, like, the tree?

-This is the majestic

White House tree.

That is incredible.

I love that you have

a little bird house

right at the very top.

Oh, yeah. We're gonna have

all sorts of stuff

in this tree.

Emily made every state bird.

-[Jonathan] These

are handmade?

-[Toni] Yes.

Every single detail.

Oh, my gosh.

Every single detail.

Oh, my gosh.

Each one was built with a base

of newsprint and masking tape,

and all of the elements

were hand painted

with acrylic paint.

Oh, my goodness.

[Toni] We have golden leaves

going in, metallic details,

it's incredible.

We actually created

a custom made

13 foot bird's nest

that is gonna act

as the centerpiece

of the entire tree.

It's a metal base

that we created.

And then, we wired

all of the branches together,

so it feels like a tight,

cohesive bird's nest.

so it feels like a tight,

cohesive bird's nest.

It's gonna be so incredible.

How long do you think

until everything's on here?

'Cause I only see a few

of the state birds so far.

Yeah, I think we're gonna

be working down to the wire

on this one.

So, I'm going into

the Red Room.

This year, the theme

for the Red Room

is faith and light.

And I can't wait to see

how they pull it off.

In times of both grief and joy

faith can light

the way forward.

Wow, this is

an incredible room.

-It looks beautiful

in here, right?

-Yes.

[Zooey] This looks so pretty.

[Zooey] This looks so pretty.

-[Maria] It does.

-[Zooey] This is, like,

a Christmas tree

-made out of candles.

-[Maria] Exactly, yes.

So, this is our candle

display. These are

not real, of course.

-Goodness. Safety first.

-The cool thing is that

even though they're not real,

-if you blow on them...

-[gasps] Oh, wow.

That's so cool.

[Maria] So, try it out.

[Zooey] Hi, are you Hedieh?

-I'm Hedieh, how are you?

-I'm Zooey, it's so nice

to meet you.

Nice to meet you too.

You are the florist

for the White House?

Yes, I'm the chief florist

for the White House.

So, Dr. Biden loves flowers.

[Hedieh] She loves orchids.

We pick the red

and the hot pinks

for this room

We pick the red

and the hot pinks

for this room

because it compliments

the decor.

-[Zooey] Yeah, it does.

-[Hedieh] So, yeah.

-These are Vanda orchids...

-[Zooey] It looks

really pretty.

[Hedieh]...and they are

one of her favorite flowers.

[Zooey] Cranberries

have been featured in

the Red Room since 1975.

This here, we've gone more

a pedestal style.

Basically we had foam,

we layered it with moss,

and then we glued the berries

and then we'll be placing

a candle on the top.

I'm an immigrant to the U.S.,

I was born in Germany,

I'm an immigrant to the U.S.,

I was born in Germany,

and to then come

here and do this.

To me, it's just really,

really touching

to be part of this.

[Zooey] Over here, we have

stained glass windows,

which represent

faith and light,

'cause the light's

coming through

and of course it looks

like a church window.

It's such a wonderful detail.

[singing] Ha, ha, ha, ha, ha.

Oh, the acoustics.

O, Christmas tree,

O, Christmas tree

Library, yes.

Library, yes.

The White House library

now holds approximately

2,700 volumes of books,

focusing primarily

on American history

and literature.

-Hello, hey!

-[Liz] Hi, welcome.

-Liz, right?

-Yes, correct.

-Oh, my Gosh.

-Good to meet you.

[whispering] Wait,

are we supposed to whisper?

This above all other rooms,

I feel like there's

so much history.

So, what's the idea in here,

what's the theme?

It's celebrating

the words and stories

of American history.

[Jonathan] How cool

is that and you're using

books to do it.

[Liz] Of course, we had

to have a book theme.

[Liz] Of course, we had

to have a book theme.

The trees are made from books.

The stands, which

were made from

the White House carpentry.

-[Jonathan] It's so simple...

-[Liz] Yeah.

...but what a cool idea just

to rest the trees inside that.

-So cool.

-[Liz] Yeah.

[Jonathan] And this,

when people see this,

this will be the new hack

people will do at home.

-[Liz] It is.

-[Jonathan] They're gonna make

themselves an old book tree.

-I'm noticing something very

famous over your shoulder.

-[Liz] Very special, yes.

-This...

-The Declaration

of Independence.

[Liz]...Declaration

of Independence and what's

extraordinary about this one

it's the first time it's

ever been exhibited.

It was printed in 1845.

It was printed in 1845.

And was donated to

the White House in the 1980s.

-[Jonathan] Oh, my gosh,

how cool is that?

-[Liz] Yeah.

[Zooey] Let's go to

the Vermeil Room.

And if you don't know

what vermeil is,

you're not alone,

'cause I also don't

know what it is.

I think this is vermeil,

is this vermeil?

It's very pretty.

And now I know I want some.

Mystery solved. "Vermeil"

is French for gilded silver

and the Vermeil Room

has plenty of it.

But this year,

the Vermeil Room

celebrates two things

that are even more precious

than gold or silver.

So, I hear that this year

this room is dedicated

to the theme of

gratitude and kindness?

-Yes, it is.

-I love that theme.

We're all in a bit of

a daze here.

We're all in a bit of

a daze here.

It's, uh, pretty surreal to be

decoupaging boxes

here in the middle of all

these historical items.

These wonderful ladies

on the wall.

We'll have lots of boxes

piled on this beautiful

table in the middle.

We're trying to match

Lady Bird Johnson's dress.

We're just absolutely thrilled

to be here helping.

[Racheal] So,

Operation Gratitude

is a non-profit that works

with the First Lady's

initiative, Joining Forces.

And they sent care packages

to families of first

responders and m*llitary.

And they sent care packages

to families of first

responders and m*llitary.

It's, like, a beautiful

hand-knit scarf.

That is sure to make

somebody really happy.

All right, I can't wait

to see when it's done.

-Keep up the good work, guys.

-[volunteer] Thank you

so much.

Thanks for stopping in.

-[Jonathan] Just around

this first?

-[woman] Uh-huh.

[Jonathan] Okay. And then

just twist it once?

[Zooey] Hello!

-Hey!

-Hi there.

I was thinking,

we have all these volunteers,

I was thinking,

we have all these volunteers,

maybe we could sing,

like, a little Christmas tune.

-Are you suggesting

a sing-along?

-[Zooey] Should I come up?

-I'm gonna come up.

-Yes.

Since we got here, it's been

non-stop work, work, work.

I think it's good for everyone

just to take a breather.

And sing a song. 'Cause we

are decking the halls

of the most famous house

in the country.

It feels right.

-Yeah.

-[Jonathan] Yeah?

[everyone] Deck the halls

with boughs of holly

Fa-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la

'Tis the season

to be jolly

Fa-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la

Fa-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la

Don we now our gay apparel

Fa-la-la-la-la-la

Troll the ancient

Yuletide Carol

Fa-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la

[Jonathan] Yes!

Up next...

This is the largest

gingerbread house

I've ever seen in my life.

Don't drop it.

[Jonathan] We'll tag along

for the nerve-wracking ride...

[man] Hold up, stop, stop.

[Jonathan] ...as the massive

gingerbread display

makes its way to

the State Dining Room.

makes its way to

the State Dining Room.

[all cheering]

[Jonathan] It's all

hands on deck to

perfect every detail

before the

First Family arrives.

This is White House

Christmas 2022.

[Jonathan] The holiday spirit

is alive and well

in the White House.

Oh! Thank goodness

they're plastic.

Volunteers are hurrying

to get every mantle,

window, and tree decorated

before the First Family

arrives later today.

Ta-da!

[Zooey] But before

the finishing touches

can be done,

there's one sweet tradition

we need to check in on.

So, I'm right outside

the China Room.

And Chef Susie, she's gonna

show me what it takes

to make a giant

gingerbread house.

Come on.

The gingerbread house

is displayed in

the State Dining Room,

but it's assembled here

in the China Room.

The mastermind behind it all

is executive pastry chef,

Susie Morrison.

Oh, my gosh,

I'm so excited to be here.

-The theme is We the People.

-[Susie] Yes.

Tell me about the design

of this beautiful

gingerbread structure.

[Susie] Well, we have

Independence Hall,

[Susie] Well, we have

Independence Hall,

the birth place of

the United States

where the Declaration

of Independence

and Constitution were signed,

a new addition to the

gingerbread house for 2022.

[Zooey] For this year's

creation, the White House

pastry team used

20 sheets of sugar

cookie dough...

This is the sugar cookie dough

that the First Lady requested.

[Zooey] ...30 sheets of

gingerbread dough...

Lots of measuring

on a regular basis.

[Zooey] ...and 100 pounds

of pastillage.

[Zooey] ...and 100 pounds

of pastillage.

[Susie] These are made of

pastillage and poured sugar.

So, when we turn

the lights on,

it looks like an evening

at the White House.

These are the figurines of

children running and playing

that will decorate

the front lawn.

The other addition this year

will be the placement

of the plaque behind

the White House

that will have a display

of We the People,

so more to come.

[Zooey] This is one of

the most ambitious

gingerbread houses

[Zooey] This is one of

the most ambitious

gingerbread houses

in the history of

gingerbread houses.

You guys can't even

fit this in the elevator.

Correct, but, you know,

we have a deadline

today, so...

Well, I was gonna ask

if you needed any help.

[Susie] The wreaths have to

go on all the windows.

So pretty.

-This is the royal icing.

-All right.

-And you're gonna put

just a little bit here.

-Uh-huh.

I can't believe I got to help

with the White House

gingerbread house.

This is very exciting.

[Susie] It'll take a second.

-Okay.

-Yay!

-Beautiful, yes, yes.

-Yay, that's look amazing.

[Jonathan] Do you need

any tall people?

I have a brilliant idea.

Ready? Here, hold on to

that ornament, ready?

We're going up,

we're going up.

Right there.

Yes!

[others cheer]

All right, let's take a look.

That's the best one so far.

[Emily] This is, like,

the home stretch we're in,

the First Lady

is on her way back,

she's gonna be here real soon.

[Susie] Are we ready?

Okay, who needs some frosting?

Okay, who needs some frosting?

You are way too late.

-But we do need

your help to carry this.

-[Zooey] Yes.

You can use my muscles, yeah.

-[Susie] Good.

-[Jonathan] This

is the largest

gingerbread house I've

ever seen in my life.

[Zooey] Don't drop it.

-[Carlo] One, two, three.

-[Jonathan] Okay.

-You guys have

done this before.

-[Susie] There we go.

[woman] All right,

you guys can drop.

-[Susie] All right, you ready?

-Uh, I could go with you guys?

[Susie] You're gonna

stay right here.

[Zooey] Yeah,

you're going with.

-I'm going with.

-[Zooey] Don't mess it up.

[Jonathan] It's narrow.

-Have you measured

the doorway?

-[Susie] Yes, yes, yes.

-[man] It's go through here.

-[Susie] It'll go.

We got a bump.

-K.

-All right, guys, I'm gonna

go upstairs and meet you...

-[Jonathan] Okay.

-[Zooey]...and cheer you on.

Typically, the gingerbread

house is moved

from the China Room

to the State Dining Room

by elevator.

[man] There we go.

Here comes the hard part.

What's harder, moving

the gingerbread or negotiating

international diplomacy?

[Zooey] This year, however,

the 300-pound gingerbread

display is so big

Susie and her team

have to drive

to the North Portico.

Susie and her team

have to drive

to the North Portico.

Good job.

We're only half way there.

Our goal here is we have

to make sure that it

does not hit the seat.

You can see how tight we are.

[driver] Sharp turn.

Here we go. We're turning.

-This is our destination spot.

-[Susie] Yes.

All right, the North Portico.

[Zooey gasps]

Coming!

[Jonathan] As if there

wasn't enough pressure,

we have an audience.

We still have

two stairs to go.

-Good?

-[Zooey] Oh, my goodness!

[cheering]

[Zooey] Almost there.

[Jonathan] Yeah!

Now just a little nervous

to get it on the table.

This is the point where if

it's gonna fall apart,

it's gonna fall apart.

[Carlo] Gentle, please.

[Jonathan] Watch the fingers.

Got it? You guys

are good for a sec?

-[Susie] Yup.

-[man] Yup.

[Zooey] Wow.

-[cheering]

-[Jonathan] Oh, my gosh.

Amazing.

[Zooey] It looks so good.

Because everyone's

so amazing, dig in.

Because everyone's

so amazing, dig in.

-Yeah, go ahead.

-Go ahead, have a...

No? Not yet?

[Susie] We were hoping

you would help with a few

of the finishing touches.

[Jonathan] That would

be amazing.

-Here we go, ready?

-[Susie] Yup, yup, yup.

-Something like this?

-[Susie] Oh, beautiful.

-Make it look like snow.

-[Susie] Yes.

[Jonathan] Oh, my gosh.

-Couldn't have done it

better myself. Wow.

-[Zooey] Show off.

[Jonathan] I know

the First Lady

is gonna love this.

We only have a few hours left.

I guess we better crunch.

-Yeah, we gotta get this done.

-Okay.

-All right.

-I'll, don't, oh,

don't do that, no.

-All right.

-I'll, don't, oh,

don't do that, no.

Finishing touches.

Still so much to do.

The First Family's

on its way back.

[Zooey] Whoo!

Uh, there it is over there.

Now that the holiday

makeover is complete,

the First Lady gives us

an exclusive tour...

Hi, I'm so happy you're here.

[Jonathan] ...of

the People's House...

...with a message of

unity in every room.

...with a message of

unity in every room.

[Jonathan] 'Twas the

month of Christmas when

all through the White House,

not a creature was stirring,

well, not exactly.

The stockings were hung

in the State Room with care,

in hopes that the First Lady

soon would be there.

-Hi.

-[Zooey] Hi.

I'm so happy you're here.

-Nice to meet you.

-So nice to see you.

-Hello.

-Hello, how are you?

Thank you for inviting

us to your house.

What an honor.

Well, it's the people's house.

-[Jonathan] It is

the people's house.

-[Zooey] The people's house.

-Yes, yeah.

-And we love the theme

that you chose.

-Oh, thank you.

-[Zooey] We the People.

Yeah, it's right

above the doors

-so everyone can see it as

they come in or leave, so...

-[Zooey] Yeah.

[Jonathan] And what, uh,

army of people it took

to pull this together.

They're so wonderful,

aren't they?

And they put their hearts

and souls into this, you know?

-[Zooey] Yeah.

-And that's what makes it

as beautiful as it is.

As First Lady, I've travelled

to over 40 different states

and it doesn't matter

what culture

or what traditions.

No matter what divisions

we find in the country,

I think that we come

together with unity.

And that's what I try

to represent here.

And as you see,

a lot of the decorations

are mirrors,

And as you see,

a lot of the decorations

are mirrors,

so that I hope people

see themselves,

and so there for

it's We the People.

Everyone is represented

no matter geographically

where they live,

myself as well,

I also newly became

an American citizen

only a few years ago.

-Congratulations.

-Yeah, thank you.

So it's, really means

a lot as well to be able

to celebrate the beautiful

rich history that

America has to offer,

so this is an exciting day.

[First Lady] So this is

just the beginning,

would you like to see

the rest of the house?

-Absolutely.

-We're really excited.

-Absolutely.

-We're really excited.

[First Lady] Okay.

I even like the snowflakes

on the ceiling.

[Zooey] Oh, yeah.

Yeah, everywhere you look,

I mean,

it's just very special.

So when the visitors come in,

this is the first thing

that they see.

Cardinals represent the lives

of people who have passed.

I think, the cardinals

are kind of this

universal symbol,

so this is to remind people,

so this is to remind people,

you know, that they have

good memories

of those who were

in their lives

who no longer are.

[Zooey]

That's really beautiful.

[First Lady] And then

speaking of loss,

What we have right here

is the gold-star trees.

The gold-star trees

honor those

who have lost their life

in service to our country

and also honors their

family members as well.

[Jonathan] Really beautiful.

[Jonathan] Really beautiful.

[First Lady] This year

we did it in red,

white, and blue.

As you can see,

the names of those lost

are written on all the stars.

As a m*llitary family,

you can imagine that

this has a special importance

for, for both me and Joe.

[Zooey] It's a beautiful

memorial.

[Jonathan] When visitors

come in,

-and this being the first

thing they experience...

- [Zooey] Mmm-hmm.

[Jonathan] ...speaks to

the powerful message

that you've set up here.

Thank you.

So here we have the Colonnade,

which is, uh, reminiscent

of the first snowfall.

As you look down here

in the birch trees,

you know, you'll see owls

and different animals

along the way.

I just think it's just

a beautiful memory of,

you know, your first snowfall.

It is spectacular.

When I walked through,

I couldn't believe that

this was all hand painted.

- [First Lady] Yeah, amazing.

- [Jonathan] I originally

thought it was actual birch.

- [First Lady] Yeah, amazing.

- [Jonathan] I originally

thought it was actual birch.

And then, it just

creates this incredible--

- [Zooey] And the mirrors

again.

- [First Lady] Yes, yes.

- [Zooey] Which is incredible.

- [First Lady] Again,

the reflections

of the people, we the people.

I think it's so lovely

as well to see

-how you represent Christmases

past in the White House.

-Yes.

People love seeing

all the different

presidents and first ladies

and their animals.

I'm realizing I should

have hung some of these

a little bit higher,

but, uh, you know.

And speaking of animals,

here are our pets,

And speaking of animals,

here are our pets,

-Commander and Willow...

- [Jonathan] Oh, my gosh.

- [First Lady]

...at the White House.

- [Jonathan] So cute.

-Don't you love

the birds in the trees and...

-[Zooey] I love it.

[First Lady]

And the White House

looks just so spectacular.

-Yeah.

-It really does.

And the fact that

you see this all

the way down the hallway.

[First Lady] Mmm-hmm.

[Jonathan] It's really a story

that has been carried in here,

which, I think,

it's pretty incredible.

The detail that goes

into creating

what are really

life like looking animals...

I mean, they're pretty cute.

I'm sure the real living,

breathing ones are even cuter.

I'm sure the real living,

breathing ones are even cuter.

-Are even cuter.

-Yeah.

[Jonathan] Next, We the People

comes to life from

the pages in the library.

-All the stories of America.

-Of America.

[Zooey] Plus some

of the First Lady's

own traditions.

There's my grandmothers

recipe for pizzelles.

[Jonathan] And the majestic

White House Christmas tree

takes flight in the Blue Room.

[First Lady] I wanted

a symbol of unity.

[Jonathan] From the reflective

ornaments in the Grand Foyer,

to the gold-star trees glowing

red, white, and blue,

and the winter wonderland

in the East Colonnade,

the First Lady is giving us

our firsthand look

at how everyone is represented

in the People's House

this holiday season.

-I just love this view when

you walk into this corridor.

-I know.

[First Lady] So warm

and inviting, I think,

and puts you

in the holiday spirit.

-It does.

-Yes, exactly.

So come on into the library.

So come on into the library.

[Jonathan]

How stunning is this?

What a great way to showcase

all the stories

and the history of America.

Mmm-hmm, of America.

And don't you love how they

put the words on the windows,

I love that.

-[Zooey] Yes.

-We the People.

[Jonathan] It's incredible

that you can take

-such a meaningful statement

like, "We the people."

- [First Lady] Mmm-hmm.

-And translate it

into so many different ways.

-Yes.

Well, come on into

the Vermeil Room.

Well, come on into

the Vermeil Room.

This room represents

kindness and gratitude.

So the things that

we are thankful for.

Family, friendship, kindness.

[Jonathan] Wow.

[First Lady]

So Operation Gratitude sends

boxes to our m*llitary

who are deployed.

And a scarf

is one of the gifts

that actually goes

into the boxes.

that actually goes

into the boxes.

- [Zooey] I love that.

- [First Lady] Handmade.

Americans supporting

other Americans,

it's really just beautiful.

[Jonathan] Incredible to see

the amount of support

-and the kindness,

especially at the holidays.

-Uh-huh.

[First Lady]

And we incorporated

Willow and Commander

popping out of the box.

-[Jonathan] Yeah.

- [Zooey laughs]

Because of the love

we feel for our pets,

and the comfort they give us,

I think most Americans

can relate to that.

-[Jonathan] Oh, yeah.

-[Zooey] Yes.

So I know that you saw

the China Room,

but I don't know

whether you've seen it

finished or not.

but I don't know

whether you've seen it

finished or not.

This room represents

food and traditions.

[Jonathan] The last time

we were in the China Room,

it was filled

with a very large

gingerbread house.

Now it looks

a little different.

[First Lady]

The volunteers brought in

their favorite recipes,

and somewhere in here

there's my grandmother's

recipe for pizzelles.

Does the President have

a favorite holiday dessert?

Oh, [laughs] yes.

He loves coconut cake.

-I will eat all

of these things.

-[both laugh]

-I will eat all

of these things.

-[both laugh]

[Jonathan] I thought

it was so clever,

the volunteers

took all the spoons

and, you know...

-Dipped them. Yeah.

-[Jonathan] Dipped them.

Even styled

the bases of the trees

with rolling pins.

[First Lady] Mmm-hmm. Yeah.

And look at the garland

around the trees,

they did it with the recipes.

-Isn't that cute?

- [Zooey] I love that.

[Jonathan] This room,

it's so beautiful

as you walk us,

when you see all the china

from over the years

and then you see

this holiday twist

-of the space.

- [First Lady] Mmm-hmm.

Yes, so it's sense of history

and yet a sense of tradition.

and yet a sense of tradition.

Well, there's more to see,

so let's head upstairs.

[Jonathan] Okay.

[First Lady] Now I'd like

to show you the Blue Room.

And this is our giant tree,

it came from

Auburn, Pennsylvania.

-This is the most

impressive...

-[First Lady] Yeah.

[Jonathan] ...welcoming

room as well.

[First Lady] I wanted

a symbol of unity,

and so that's why

we have a bird

from every single state

and territory.

from every single state

and territory.

And I hope that visitors come,

and everybody wants

to see, you know,

"Oh, where is my state?

Where is my state?"

just shows how really

we all come together.

-Look at the bottom,

it's like a nest.

-[Jonathan] Like a nest.

-Yeah.

- [Zooey] It's beautiful.

- [First Lady]

Isn't it beautiful?

- [Zooey] It is beautiful.

[Jonathan] Everything has

thought and care put into it.

-Brilliant.

-I agree.

Now can I invite you

to come into the Green Room?

-[Zooey] We'd love to,

thank you.

-[Jonathan] Yes, absolutely.

You can pretty much

invite us anywhere,

and we'll go.

You can pretty much

invite us anywhere,

and we'll go.

[Zooey] Yeah, we'll go.

It's so pretty.

[First Lady]

This room represents

music and harmony.

Look at the bells

that are hanging

from the windows.

Some are real bells,

and some are just

-paper cups that

are sprayed gold.

-[Zooey] Yeah.

And then they

attach the ribbon.

If people wanna

do this at home, it's easy.

[Zooey] They look so pretty,

[Zooey] They look so pretty,

and It, I love how they're

layered, so lovely.

[First Lady] Well,

now I'd like to invite you

to the Cross Hall,

so we can look at something

very special.

-Okay.

-Ooh.

[Zooey] Still to come,

a piece of history

is given new purpose

in the Cross Hall.

This is the first ever menorah

to be in the White House

collection.

[Jonathan] And the first

family's customs

at winter wonder

in the East Room.

[First Lady]

This is Joe's

family tradition.

[Zooey] Finally,

the First Lady shares a room

very close to her heart.

[Zooey] Finally,

the First Lady shares a room

very close to her heart.

As an educator,

I wanted to celebrate

teachers.

[Jonathan] The First Lady

is giving us a behind

the scenes look

at this year's theme,

We the People.

Now, the tour continues

with a very special look

at the newest addition

to the White House collection.

So this is the first

ever menorah

to be in the White House

collection.

You actually saw it

being made,

so why don't you

tell the story?

I was working with

Robby and Lawrence,

down in the carpentry shop,

down in the carpentry shop,

and Lawrence told me about

how they handcrafted this,

-and so now, year after year,

-Mmm-hmm.

they're gonna have

the White House's

very own menorah.

It's beautiful.

[Jonathan] The nostalgia,

I think, is something

pretty special.

Because every little piece,

there's a reason

why it was made

a specific way

or the materials

that were used, and,

so I think that's wonderful.

And this is just

another example, I think,

of We the People,

that we tried

to include everyone.

-Yeah, I love it.

-Yes, it's amazing.

[First Lady] Now, come on

into the East Room.

-Oh, can I point out

one thing, by the way?

-Sure.

-Oh, can I point out

one thing, by the way?

-Sure.

-I hung this garland.

-[First Lady] Oh, wow.

[Zooey] It's a little

crooked, but--

It's not a little crooked,

there's a debate about that.

-Well, you did a great job.

-It's, it's great.

This is beautiful.

[First Lady]

So this is the celebration

of our National Parks.

[Zooey] Oh, wow, how pretty.

I love this room

and I love the National Parks,

so it was very cool that

they were represented here.

Here we have the creche,

that's been here every year.

Here we have the creche,

that's been here every year.

There are 40 figurines,

it dates back

to the 18th century.

- [Zooey] It's incredible.

- [First Lady] Isn't it?

- [First Lady] I think people

love tradition.

- [Zooey] It's wonderful.

What I love about

Christmas was always

-what we shared

as a family growing up.

-Uh-huh.

And now with our families

blended together,

we still introduce

some of my traditions

and some of her traditions,

and it just feels right.

-Yeah.

-Yeah.

Again, unity.

-[Zooey] That's right. Yes.

-[Jonathan] Yeah, exactly.

[First Lady] Speaking

of family traditions.

This is Joe's

family tradition.

This is Joe's

family tradition.

Santa would come

during the night when

everyone was asleep

and put snow on

all the needles of the trees,

so the flocking this year,

I incorporated that

because it's Joe's

family tradition.

-Yeah. Family flocking.

-That's wonderful.

[all laughing]

Well, come into the Red Room.

[Jonathan] Oh, wow.

[First Lady] This room

represents faith,

serenity.

And you can see,

uh, the light...

- [Zooey] Yes.

- [First Lady]

...with all the candles,

- [Zooey] Yes.

- [First Lady]

...with all the candles,

and of course, the orchids,

I love orchids.

Aren't they beautiful?

- [Zooey] They're so beautiful.

- [Jonathan] So stunning.

[Zooey] And I love

the stain glass windows,

and it's looks even

more special at night.

Faith has been

a really important

part of our life,

so I think that those values,

our values are reflected here,

and I think it's faith

that gives us strength.

And I think, especially,

at the holidays,

-faith and family

is so important.

-Mmm-hmm.

Yeah.

So now I'd like to take

to a very special room,

We the Children.

We the Children.

If you'll come and follow me.

-Yes, we love this room.

-Yes.

[First Lady] I wanna show you

something very special,

it's our gingerbread house,

which is in itself amazing,

but then we have

Independence Hall

in Philadelphia.

We the People is represented

in this as well.

[Zooey] I love it so much.

[First Lady]

You know, the lights,

I think it's really

-spectacular.

-[Zooey] It's spectacular.

It truly is.

I can, I can say this is,

hands down,

I can, I can say this is,

hands down,

the greatest gingerbread house

I have ever seen in my life.

[Zooey] I love to see

Independence Hall.

My father is from Philadelphia

and you're from Philadelphia.

[First Lady] Yeah, yeah.

My hometown.

[Zooey] And, you know,

one of the most

historic places.

And did you notice

the flags on top?

[Jonathan]

Yeah, little elements

like that really mean a lot.

[Zooey] Mmm-hmm.

And I put this tree here.

-That was my [laughs]

-I put the other tree,

I put that tree over there.

Oh, this is, I love it,

'cause I put the tree

over here.

[both laughing]

And Joe put a tree, too.

-So, so there it is,

unity again.

-Oh, I love that.

-So, so there it is,

unity again.

-Oh, I love that.

So come on over,

and I wanna show you

these trees done by

the State Teachers of the Year

and their students.

Which means so much

to me as a educator.

And so we contacted

all the teachers of the year,

and they had their students

make self-portraits

and sent them.

You know,

I always said I wanted

to celebrate teachers,

so this is just another way

so this is just another way

that we can bring teachers

into the White House

and really focus

on the importance

of education.

[Zooey] Yeah.

[First Lady] And then,

of course, all the books,

and I hear that

you had a hand in this, too.

Yeah, I was working

with Robbie in the woodshop,

we built these books,

and then we send them up

to the calligraphy room.

[Zooey] And I helped

Becky and Lee Ann

do a little

of the detail painting.

[First Lady] Well, you did

a great job, look at this.

These are beautiful,

and of course,

These are beautiful,

and of course,

we have Commander and Willow

reading their books, too.

[Zooey] So sweet.

Another thing that we have

is our family stockings.

A tradition in my family

was always

an orange in the toe

of the stocking.

And that was from

my grandmother because

growing up during

the Depression,

they didn't have

a lot of fruit,

and so that was a very

special gift to get,

and so, that's why

I always put

an orange in the toe

of the stocking.

an orange in the toe

of the stocking.

[Zooey] We would always

get tangerines.

Again, it's the tradition.

-I think it's so wonderful

to see it.

-Yeah.

-[Zooey] It is.

-Mmm-hmm.

You vision for everything

was just exquisite.

Well, thank you,

I had a little help, too.

-I mean, it wasn't just me,

it was a team,

-[Jonathan] Yeah.

a team of people

who came together.

-Thank you so much

for having us Dr. Biden.

-Thank you.

-Come back.

-Aw, we would love

to come back.

[First Lady] Aw, thanks.

Thank you.

-Happy holidays.

-You as well.

-[Zooey] Happy holidays.

-[First Lady] Happy holidays.

Merry Christmas

and happy holidays

to all Americans

from the President

and from me.

Thank you.
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