Jill Biden Receives the 'Magnificent' White House Christmas Tree Alongside Military Families

"Some of the kids said that they had never seen a tree so big," the first lady noted after she and military-connected children took a moment to admire the 18 1/2-foot fir

The official White House Christmas tree has arrived just in time for the holiday season.

First lady Jill Biden, 72, invited military-connected families to join her Monday afternoon as she received the centerpiece decoration, a longstanding tradition that kicks off several weeks of festivities at the People's House.

Wearing a green sheath dress with a matching coat and heels, she posed with children of military families and took a moment to admire the tree's grandeur, afterward calling it "magnificent" and noting, "Some of the kids said that they had never seen a tree so big."

Related: Photos of First Ladies Greeting the Official White House Christmas Tree

Siblings Amber Scott and Alex Church, who won the National Christmas Tree Association’s annual contest, presented Dr. Biden with the tree: an 18 1/2-foot Fraser fir grown in Fleetwood, North Carolina, which will stand floor-to-ceiling in the Blue Room.

The annual Christmas tree presentation has been ongoing for 58 years. Fifteen of those years, the prized tree came from North Carolina, which has produced more winners than any other state, according to The Carolina Journal.

Related: Joe Biden Pardons Turkeys Liberty and Bell in Annual Thanksgiving Tradition

The arrival of the Christmas tree came just hours after President Joe Biden pardoned two turkeys, named Liberty and Bell, in another time-honored White House tradition.

At that ceremony, Biden joked about the considerable odds the two birds beat to be the ones pardoned, saying that being selected for the pardoning was harder than "getting tickets to the Renaissance tour."

He also said that Liberty and Bell "love Honeycrisp apples, ice hockey," and the Mall of America, adding, "I sure as hell would like to see them play ice hockey."

Related: Joe Biden Turns 81, Setting New Record as Oldest Sitting President in U.S. History

During the pardon, Biden acknowledged his own celebration on Monday — his 81st birthday — saying, "It's my birthday today," and jokingly adding, "It's difficult turning 60." has often acknowledged the criticism of his age.)

On Tuesday, after a busy couple of days ushering in the holiday season, the Bidens plan to travel to Massachusetts to make up for any lost family time and celebrate Thanksgiving later in the week.

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