11 photos that show how the White House and Windsor Castle are decorated for the 2022 holidays

The official White House tree stands 18.5 feet tall in the Blue Room, which is open to visitors who tour the presidential home. The tree is decorated with ornaments of the official birds from each US state and territory in a symbol of "the beauty and strength that comes from unity," according to the White House website.

The official tree is a Concolor Fir that came from Auburn, Pennsylvania, according to the White House website. There are 76 other Christmas trees decorating the White House, per CBS News.

The annual tree ornament represents the "cherished White House tradition of displaying a gingerbread house each holiday," according to the White House Historical Association, which sells the ornaments at $24.95 each.

The ornament is a nod to former First Lady Pat Nixon, who put the first gingerbread house on display in the White House in 1969 during President Richard Nixon's administration, according to the Associated Press.

Each year, the First Lady announces a theme for the holiday decor, and this year's theme is "We the People," according to The Washington Post.

The theme is prominent on the official 2022 Gingerbread White House, which sits in the State Dining Room, according to the White House website. This year's display also includes a "sugar cookie replica of Independence Hall in Philadelphia," where the Declaration of Independence and later the Constitution were signed, the website says.

Windsor Castle has been decked out in the holiday spirit and is open to tourists, according to the BBC. Due to the pandemic, the late Queen Elizabeth II spent her last two Christmases at Windsor, but the family normally travels to their Sandringham estate in Norfolk, England for the holiday, the outlet reported.

In St. George's Hall, a Nordmann fir stands 20 feet tall and is decorated with 3,000 lights, per the BBC. Four staff members took two days decorating the tree with lights and ornaments, according to the outlet.

The decorations at Windsor Castle are managed by the Royal Collection Trust, according to Town and Country Magazine. The castle will remain decorated until January 2, 2023, and the castle is open to the public five days a week, according to the magazine.

There are a total of six Christmas trees in the castle, and one of the most significant ones stands in the Crimson Room as a tribute to the late Queen Elizabeth II, Country Living Magazine reported.

The tree in Crimson Hall honors the late Queen Elizabeth II this year, according to Country Living Magazine. The grandiose room was frequently used by the Queen for private events, according to the magazine.

The tree is adorned with red, gold, and purple ornaments in a nod to the late Queen's racing colors, the magazine reported.

Small mirrors hang on the trees that line Cross Hall, allowing visitors to see their faces in the decor, the first lady's communications director told The Washington Post.

"That's very purposeful, very intentional," Elizabeth Alexander told the Post. "It's important for the first lady that people see themselves in the decor."

Cross Hall and the Grand Foyer are also adorned with metal ribbons that read the names of the 57 American states, territories, and the District of Columbia, according to the White House website.

According to Town and Country Magazine, the Royal Collection Trust said the castle was transformed with "twinkling lights" and "festive garlands," and they did not disappoint.

The Grand Staircase, already impressive with its towering statues, was adorned with extravagant garland with twinkling lights, gold leaves, and red ribbons, according to People. The staircase leads visitors to St. George's Hall.

The White House's East Colonnade is decorated with homemade animals and trees dotted with fake snow this year, according to the presidential website.

At a viewing of the holiday decor last month, First Lady Jill Biden thanked volunteers for meticulously hanging the decorations, according to the Washington Post.

"Now, some of you may still have a little glue gun residue on your fingers or a sore back from hanging up all that snow in the colonnade," the First Lady said. "Yesterday, you might have thought, 'If I have to tie just one more bow, I'm outta here!' Am I right?"

The aura this year is more toned down and intimate than the glitz and glam of decor in past years, specifically under former First Lady Melania Trump. Decor across the White House appears to be more homemade and rustic, including birdhouses topped with fake snow and garlands decorated with pine cones and pine needles.

Alexander, the first lady's communications director, said the decor has "several DIY elements" meant to be "approachable and accessible for people at home," according to the Post.

The Royal Collection Trust said this year's holiday decor also features a "spectacular table display in the Waterloo Chamber, one of the largest and most impressive rooms in the Castle," Town and Country Magazine reported.

The table is decorated with festive items from the Royal Collection, which boasts itself as "one of the largest and most important art collections in the world," according to the collection's website.