PureWow
Ah, yes, the most wonderful—not to mention nostalgic—time of the year is here.
With Thanksgiving upon us and Christmas just a few short weeks away, we found ourselves wondering how our favorite celebs spend their holidays.
From Turkey Day to Christmas, we’ve rounded up 11 celebrity holiday traditions.
In an exclusive interview with Elite Daily, Dax Shepard opened up about the holiday tradition he and Kristen Bell take part in with their two daughters: They drive cross-country.
“Every other year, we go to Oregon to be at my mom’s house,” Shepard said. “Every year we road trip—we don’t fly. And we stop at different places along the route as part of our tradition.”
So, not paying for crazy-expensive flights over the busy season? Count us in.
When asked about their favorite holiday tradition back in 2009 (!), the Jo Bros revealed to InStyle that their family wakes up and eats spicy foods.
“Every year we eat tamales on Christmas morning and it’s pretty awesome,” Nick said. “My mom started it, and it’s special because Kevin, Joe and I have grown up doing it. It’s very like us to have tamales on Christmas.”
We’re wondering how the J. Sisters feel about tamales...
Despite only being together for two years, the newly engaged couple has started some holiday traditions of their own.
“Our only tradition—because we’re so new, like we’ve just finished a year dating—is for Christmas we wear onesies, which is what everyone does. It’s fun because you’re hungover on Christmas Day and it’s comfy,” Adams told Us Weekly.
Sounds like the drinks are flowing on Christmas Eve in the Wells/Hyland households.
Christmas is the ultimate family affair for Kurt Russell and company. The actor, who has been with wife Goldie Hawn for 40 years, opened up to Us Weekly about practically everything they do on Christmas Eve.
“We have a big meal and then the kids put their pajamas on and they hang up their stockings and we got the fire going and then when it gets dark we always choose someone to read ’Twas the Night Before Christmas,” he said. “And generally after that, the kids start getting nervous because we’ve been tracking Santa Claus, generally that time he’s starting to work his way into the end of the Rockies perhaps. And then all of a sudden you might hear sleigh bells, and if you hear sleigh bells, the pandemonium sets in.”
Is it us or does this tradition sound like something straight out of The Christmas Chronicles?
No surprise that Katie Holmes’s Thanksgiving tradition involves being active. As reported by Shape, the Ray Donovan actress opened up to Jimmy Fallon during his show in 2012 about her family’s yearly ritual.
“Many years ago, my dad started this tradition where we all do this run in the local park,” she told Fallon. “It’s a three-mile run called the Turkey Trot. There’s even a prize, which I haven’t won yet. But it’s really fun.”
Now that Blake Lively and Ryan Reynolds have a family of five, we’re not sure this tradition still holds true. But back before having kids, Lively revealed to Us Weekly that she’s in charge of the meal for her family on Thanksgiving.
“I plan to eat, relax and just do nothing, which is so exciting because that really doesn’t happen often! On Thanksgiving, I’ll cook an entire feast, a 12-course meal. And it’s hard to pick a favorite, but my sweet potato casserole is pretty good.”
Now with three more mouths to feed, we’re sure the Gossip Girl actress is making extra casserole.
Nope, we’re not talking Elf or White Christmas. In the Moretz household, Christmas is all about The Family Stone.
“We watch Family Stone every single Christmas Eve,” she told Us Weekly. “Every single Christmas Eve. Before that came out, we would watch The Grinch.”
If we could spend the holidays with one celebrity couple, Chip and Joanna Gaines would definitely be at the top of our list. Last year, Joanna revealed in Magnolia Journal that part of her Christmas tradition involves baking, while another part revolves around buying personalized ornaments.
“Every holiday season, I get Chip and the kids an ornament that goes along with a memory from that year,” she said. “I write their name and the date on the bottom, so as they get older, each one of them has a little collection that’s all their own.”
Yep, you read that correctly.
“We’ll get up and go to Waffle House,” the singer told People in 2015. “It’s such a hectic time, and I don’t feel like making breakfast on a day that you’re just making so much food anyway. So we order breakfast and leave a ginormous tip.”
’Tis the season of giving (huge tips).
In an interview with InStyle, Jessica Alba shared her unique spin on Thanksgiving and her fam’s musical traditions for Christmas.
“I love holiday traditions. We have a big family-and-friend sit-down dinner. Cash, me and my parents throw down in the kitchen, and my dad makes the most yummy tender turkeys. He makes a spicy version—seasoned with fresh jalapeños—and a classic version with all the fixings. We love Christmas caroling with an improv version of ‘12 Days of Christmas’ that’s always pretty epic. We also do our version of a White Elephant that’s an ornament exchange for all of the adults.”
Adding jalapeños to the list of groceries this Thanksgiving.
Patience is key at the Stefani household. On Christmas morning, the Voice coach covers a doorway that leads to their Christmas tree and gifts with wrapping paper, and the adults on hand count down for the kids to break through it.
“We have to be very patient, and we have to make sure that the phone’s working and that we videotape the boys crashing through the wrapping paper and then it reveals everything,” she said on 2017’s You Make It Feel Like Christmas TV special. “That’s probably, to me, one of the greatest traditions. I don’t know how Santa thought that up. Such a good idea.”
Santa is very clever these days.