142,000 lights, 34,000 ornaments, tributes to fallen soldiers and Joe and Jill's beloved pets: The White House Christmas decorations - with Santa's workshop, 15,000 feet of ribbon and a 200-year tradition

Jill Biden thanked the 'gum drop pinners' and other 300 volunteers who spent six days decorating the White House with candy, fake snow, twinkling lights, and a variety of ornaments to give it the child-like wonder she was searching for this holiday season.

'To the gum drop pinners. Thank you gum drop pinners!,' the first lady said at the first of the 24 holiday receptions the White House is hosting this holiday season. Jill Biden revealed the holiday decor on Monday and the first party of the season is in honor of those who gave their time to turn the first lady's vision into reality.

The volunteers played Santa's elves to transform the White House into a winter wonderland worthy of the 2023 holiday theme: 'Magic, Wonder, and Joy.'

After three days in warehouses assembling the decor, the volunteers spent Friday, Saturday and Sunday in the White House putting it all into place. They raced to finish as President Joe Biden and Jill Biden returned from their Thanksgiving holiday in Nantucket.

The first couple even had to be whisked upstairs for a few hours upon their return o the White House so the group could put on the finishing touches. 

But it was worth the wait.

Jill Biden said she, the president and their family 'were just mesmerized when we saw it.' 

'I hope that you're leaving with more than just a few friends because that kind of friendship can only be forged together when working together to shape chicken wire into magnificent ornaments,' she told the cheering crowd. 

The decorations had elements familiar to children every where: red stripped peppermint candy, toy soldiers, dancing ballerinas, rocking horses, candy canes, and a tribute to military families - a cause close to Jill Biden's heart.

White House staff also utilized overhead spaces and oversized decor to bring out the child in every visitor who walks through its doors. 

It starts at the entry way, where guests walk in under the branches of a Christmas Tree with lights, ornaments and candy canes tucked in the branches above. 

And it continues through the house to the state floor, where Santa and his eight reindeer are hanging from the ceiling in the entry way. 

'It's this childlike marvel and awe that inspired this year's holiday theme: the 'Magic, Wonder, and Joy,' of the season,' Jill Biden will say later Monday, according to an advance copy of her remarks released by the East Wing.

The Bidens saw the decorations on Sunday night after they returned from their annual Thanksgiving holiday in Nantucket with their family.

This year's holiday decorations include 98 Christmas Trees, 14,975 feet of ribbon, and 22,100 bells. 

There is also a tribute to military families and, in honor of its 200th anniversary, a display of various copies of ‘Twas the Night Before Christmas' from throughout the years as donated by the Library of Congress.

The White House expects to welcome approximately 100,000 visitors during the holiday season, the East Wing said.  

And the Bidens wil  about 24 holiday receptions with the first one on Monday. The last one is December 22nd. The annual Congressional Ball is Monday, Dec. 4. Other invited guests will include supporters, donors, staff and members of the media. 

As the guests and visitors make their way through the ground floor and state rooms above, they'll see a variety of decorations tied to the theme.

The aw and wonder start in the entry way, where guests walk beneath overhanging lights, cookies, lollipops and candy canes.

The White House library was transformed into a children's bedroom, including a bed with books stacked around it. The Vermeil Room was transformed into a theater with dancing nutcrackers.

The China Room was made into a kitchen with sweet treats baking. 

The main entry way into the White House showcases Santa's sleigh flying through the air with his eight reindeer.

Jill Biden praised it as one of her favorite parts of the decor.

'They were made from paper mache. I mean - it's just so cool. And it's like they're leaping from the storybooks page,' she said.

The East Room contains Advent calendars counting down the days to Christmas and, behind each number, is a special surprise that will be revealed as the holiday season continues.

The Blue Room contains the official White House Christmas Tree - an 18½ foot Fraser Fir from Fleetwood, North Carolina.

This year's tree is decorated with scenes, landscapes, and neighborhoods from all across the country, with names of every state, territory, and the District of Columbia on display.

A replica of a vintage passenger train, on loan from the Train Collectors Association, runs around the tree's base.

The Red Room pays tribute to Jill Biden's support for military families and her Joining Forces Initiative. The ornaments are created out of the handprints and painted family portraits of military-connected children.

The first lady kept the tradition - going back to 1975 - of having fresh cranberries as part of the decor but, this year, the berries are woven through handmade popcorn garland.

The State Dining Room was transformed into Santa's workshop with elves’ workbenches, stools, and ladders around the Christmas Trees. 

Life-sized nutcrackers and ballerinas abound around the room. 

It also hold the Gingerbread White House. This year's version includes a tribute to Twas the Night Before Christmas with a sugar cookie replica of the famous book.

The columns on the colonnade was decorated with red peppermint stripes and red peppermint Christmas candy makes up the wreaths on the windows.

Jill Biden made it clear that childlike wonder is her goal for visitors when they see the White House. 

'It's in these times, when we are searching for hope and healing, that we need those points of light the most – that we need each other the most,' she said.

'It's in these times that I hope you remember, if even just for a moment or a season, how you saw the world as a child.'

'Because children have something to teach us, if we're wise enough to listen. How to remain present, even as a busy world beckons. How to open ourselves up to love and wonder. How to marvel at every moment, no matter how ordinary.'