2021 Holiday Decorations in the State Dining Room

This photograph of a topiary display in the State Dining Room Room was taken by David Wiegold on November 29, 2021 during a press preview of the White House holiday decorations. The topiary is displayed in a gilded bronze basket attributed to the French firm Denière et Matelin of Paris. It was purchased for the White House in 1817. The basket depicts the Three Graces, Greek goddesses of beauty and charm. For their first year in the White House, President Joseph R. Biden and First Lady Dr. Jill Biden chose the theme, "Gifts from the Heart." The theme was meant to honor the things we cherish and bring us together despite the obstacles posed by a pandemic, time, and distance. Decorations in the State Dining Room honored the "Gift of Family" and included family photographs, stockings by the mantel embroidered with the names of the Biden's grandchildren, and the traditional gingerbread display.