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More than 20 holiday receptions, a black-tie state dinner and a George Clooney sighting – after two years of COVID, the White House party scene is back in full swing.
And, on Thursday will be the most glamorous event of them all: Joe and Jill Biden‘s first state dinner.
The first couple with honor French President Emmanuel Macron and his wife Brigitte with a lavish spread on the South Lawn of the White House.
It’s not the only star attraction. On Sunday, George Clooney and Bono will be among the guests at the Bidens’ reception for this year’s Kennedy Center honorees.
In between the celebrity sightings and world leaders, the first couple will host more than 20 holiday receptions over the next four weeks.
Yes, after two years of COVID, it’s time to party.
‘We have a myriad of holiday receptions,’ White House social secretary Carlos Elizondo said on Monday. ‘I think last count was like 21 or 22.’
That’s a standard number of parties for an administration. Donald Trump’s White House held about the same amount every holiday season, including the last one of his presidency, when the COVID pandemic was at its height.
President Joe Biden and first lady Jill Biden will hold more than 20 holiday receptions over next four weeks
Green and gold invites addressed from ‘The President and Dr. Biden’ are being blasted to inboxes across Washington
The holiday parties have already begun, on Monday the White House hosted a reception for the more than 150 volunteers who decorated it for the holidays
Green and gold invites addressed from ‘The President and Dr. Biden’ are being blasted to inboxes across Washington, asking people for the pleasure of their company at a holiday reception at the White House. Hundreds around town are waiting to see if they’ve made the cut or have been regulated to the naughty list.
Lawmakers, diplomats, White House staff, loyal Democrats, friends of Joe, and party activists are among those garnering a coveted invitation to walk through the White House gates.
The invite comes with a list of do-and-don’ts, including requiring a negative covid test the day of the event and a face mask if a guest is not vaccinated.
Guests get a chance to mingle among each other, with administration staff and stand in the traditional photo line to get a souvenir picture with the president and first lady.
One of the biggest nights at the White House will be the black-tie Congressional Ball, which will be held on Dec. 5th.
All members of Congress are invited, a White House official told DailyMail.com, meaning, yes, Republicans get an invitation too.
It’s unclear how many GOP lawmakers will be attending but awkward encounters among political rivals are a part of the rigueur de jour during the holiday season.
At the 2019 Congressional Ball, six Democrats came to Donald Trump’s White House and this was during their first impeachment of the then-president.
Last year, the Bidens held ‘open houses’ instead of the traditional holiday parties because of the rising cases of COVID thanks to the omicron variant.
But, this year, the party season has already started at the White House.
On Monday there was a reception for the more than 150 volunteers who decorated the White House for the holidays.
Jill Biden picked a ‘We the People’ theme to honor the fact the White House is open for holiday tours again as the covid pandemic recedes.
The decorations include 77 Christmas trees, including three dedicated to Gold Star Families. There are 83,615 holiday lights that decorate the trees, garlands, wreaths, and displays around the mansion with 25 classic wreaths adorning the north and south facades of the White House.
And, outside on the South Lawn, a glass pavilion is being constructed for Thursday night’s state dinner, which will feature about 350 guests honoring the French president.
Additionally French and American flags have been hung on the Eisenhower Executive Office Building and on lamp posts on Pennsylvania Avenue, leading into the White House driveway.
It’s the first state visit of Biden’s presidency and marks a return of the diplomatic pageantry that has been missing the past few years.
It’s also the first time a state dinner will be held at the White House during the holiday season although that won’t figure into the party planning.
‘This was all planned before the dinner was in the books,’ Elizondo said of the holiday decorations in the White House.
He added the state dinner was being held on the South Lawn because it was larger than can be accommodated in the State Dining Room, which can hold about 140 people.
Macron and his wife arrive Wednesday evening for a three-day visit to the U.S. After they are feted at the White House on Thursday night, they’ll head to New Orleans on Friday for cultural programs.
The war in the Ukraine will top the agenda for Biden and Macron’s meeting at the White House on Thursday. The two leaders also will discuss Iran’s nuclear program and China’s growing economic influence.
They will hold a joint press conference on Thursday afternoon.
The Macrons are old hats at state visits – they were also the first state visit for the Trump administration.
But White House spokesman John Kirby said President Biden choice France because it’s a testament to his foreign policy philosophy – that the United States’ strength is in its alliances.
‘Our alliance is something that no other nation in the world can match — the network of American alliances. France is our oldest one,’ he said at Monday’s White House press briefing.
On Sunday the Bidens will host a reception at the White House for the Kennedy Center honorees, which include George Clooney and U2’s Bono
On Thursday, President Biden will host a state dinner for French President Emmanuel Macron – the two men are seen above in Germany in June
French and American flags are being hung around the White House in preparation for the French state visit
The Bidens also will participate in another presidential tradition this weekend: the annual Kennedy Center Honors.
The first couple will host the honorees for a reception at the White House before the program is taped on Sunday evening at the Kennedy Center.
This year’s honorees for their lifetime artistic achievements include actor George Clooney, whose wife Amal Clooney is expected to accompany him; and the Irish rock band U2, comprised of band members Bono, The Edge, Adam Clayton, and Larry Mullen Jr.
Also being honored are singer-songwriter Amy Grant; singer Gladys Knight; and Cuban-born American composer Tania León.
The program will be televised Wednesday, December 28th on CBS.
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