It's just gorgeous,” said Jeremy Bernard, who oversaw holiday decorating and event planning as President Barack Obama's social secretary. “The White House is never as beautiful as it is at Christmas. In addition to fewer people passing through for the open houses, thousands of other people didn't get a close-up look at how Jill Biden decked out White House hallways and public rooms for the holidays because public tours of the mansion remain on indefinite hold. "It is disappointing that we cannot host as many people as the Bidens would like to, but as we have done since day one of the Biden Administration, we will continue to implement strong Covid protocols, developed in consultation with our public health advisers,” LaRosa said. President Joe Biden and first lady Jill Biden arrive to attend the National Christmas Tree lighting ceremony on the Ellipse in Washington, Dec. “Anyone who knows the Bidens knows how much they enjoy hosting and celebrating the holidays,” Michael LaRosa, the first lady’s spokesperson, said in announcing a limited number of open houses for invited guests to ooh and aah over the Christmas trees and other decorations. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts.īut the pandemic's biggest blow to the calendar came at Christmas, forcing the White House to overhaul its holiday entertaining – and trim the guest list. The Bidens also hosted large receptions for Hanukkah and for artists recognised by the John F. Still, the White House managed to pull off some events despite the pandemic, such as bill-signing and Medal of Honor ceremonies.
In fact, months passed before Biden was able to welcome a foreign leader to the Oval Office for even lower-key talks. The Democratic president also has yet to toast a foreign counterpart at a glitzy White House state dinner because he has yet to invite a world leader for a state visit. Prime Minister Boris Johnson and US President Joe Biden have met in Cornwall with their wives Carrie Johnson and Jill Biden.
He noted that many events were not held while the president and first lady did others over Zoom. “I think it’s been really tough on them," said Philip Dufour, who was Vice President Al Gore's social secretary. President Joe Biden and first lady Jill Biden have replaced the packed parties and overflowing buffet tables of the past with food-free open houses, face masks and testing for the unvaccinated.īeyond the impact on Biden's first Christmas in office, the virus and its variants largely put the kibosh on the entire White House social scene for 2021, starting with an inauguration that positioned flags in place of people on the National Mall. It's been a less merry holiday scene at the White House this year under Covid-19's shadow. So long eggnog, shrimp cocktail and pet-shaped sugar cookies. A photo of President Joe Biden and first lady Jill Biden sits in a Christmas tree in the State Dining Room of the White House during a press preview of the White House holiday decorations, Nov.
0 kommentar(er)
