President Joe Biden and first lady Jill Biden have sent invites to lawmakers on Capital Hill to tour the White House Christmas decorations, part of a series of open house events the administration is holding.
The invites are for a walking tour of the holiday decorations on the ground floor and state floor of the executive mansion.
The invitation to tour the decorations is a sign the administration won't be holding formal holiday parties this year as the coronavirus cases continue to rise around the country and the Omicron variant picks up speed.
The White House has not sent out invites to Capitol Hill for the any formal holiday gatherings, congressional sources tell DailyMail.com. Presidents traditionally host a Congressional Ball - a black tie holiday event - for lawmakers.
The East Wing, which houses the office of the social secretary and is responsible for social events, didn't comment for the story.
But when Jill Biden's office previewed the holiday decorations two weeks ago, her communications director Elizabeth Alexander told reporters there would be some type of event to allow people to see the mansion in its festive mode.
'More announcements in the coming days will be about additional openings,' she said at the time.
The administration's move comes as Omicron cases tripled over the weekend, from 43 across 22 US states on Saturday to 153 cases in 30 states on Monday, according to Centers for Disease Control data.
The holiday season is traditionally one of the busiest times of year for any administration. It's not uncommon for there to be an event - sometimes even two - during every day of December with thousands of people trapping through the White House by the time the season is done.
During such events guests are free to walk around and take in the decor along with partaking in much food and drink.
Tours offer a safer option to see the decorations as opposed to a party - they are timed so the number of people can be limited and spread out. Additionally the White House requires face masks to be worn on its premises as another safety precaution.
The holiday season is an excellent time for presidents to woo lawmakers, thank staff and treat donors.
Past holiday receptions usually had a few hundred guests - many traveling from out of town - and the first couple typically put in an appearance.
While the parties may seem superficial, they have different meanings to different guests: staffers get to bring their families to see their workplace, donors get a return on their investment and longtime supporters get a thank you - and all the guests typically get a souvenir picture with the first couple.
Joe and Jill Biden inviting guests to tour White House to view the Christmas decorations - a sign there will be no holiday parties this year
A giant bow and gift boxes greet visitors arriving to the White House's East Wing this holiday season; Jill Biden revealed this year's holiday theme as 'Gifts from the Heart'
But the coronavirus pandemic continues to up-end plans for in-person gatherings.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention offers this advice for holiday gatherings: get vaccinated if eligible, wear a mask in crowded indoor places, get tested, stay six feet apart from people who don't live with you, and avoid crowds and poorly ventilated indoor spaces.
Additionally, the country is facing a difficult holiday season with inflation at its highest point in nearly forty years and supply shortages making certain items difficult to obtain.
Despite this, Jill Biden said on Friday that Americans will have a 'very happy holiday.'
'They're going to have a very happy holiday,' Biden said to DailyMail.com at a Toys for Tots event when asked if Americans can have a happy holiday with Omicron and inflation.
The first lady unveiled her holiday decorations two weeks with the theme of 'Gifts from the Heart.'
This year's decorations include a collection of Christmas trees filling the halls of the White House, stacks of books, floating candles, and trees featuring photographs of previous first families. Those photos include the previous White House occupant - Donald and Melania Trump. There is a photo of the former first couple receiving the official White House Christmas tree on display.
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