From mistletoe and mulled wine to glittering trees and stockings hung by the fireplace, Christmas is a time for traditions. But what if money were no object at the most wonderful time of the year? Some of our favourite celebrities have taken to social media to offer a glimpse inside their festive celebrations. From Will Smith’s karaoke showdown to Reese Witherspoon's family feast and Mariah Carey's real-life reindeer rides, here's how the rich and famous spend the holidays...
You might not be surprised to learn that Jada and Will Smith take holiday spirit very seriously. Though their house is fun-filled at the best of times, at Christmas things get turned up a notch. As the coolest couple in Hollywood, they spend the holidays at their lavish $42 million (£36m) property in Calabasas, California with Jada's mum, Adrienne, and their three children, Jaden, Trey and Willow.
From acting to singing, screenwriting and producing, Will and Jada are one seriously powerful duo, with a combined net worth of $400 million (£350m), according to Celebrity Net Worth. Yet unlike many celebrities, who fly off to luxurious destinations or call in Santa Claus for a one-to-one, Will and Jada take a more homely approach to the holidays, albeit with festive costumes and plenty of larking about.
As well as dressing up, Jada likes to get the whole family into the festive spirit. In 2018, she decked their home out with colossal Christmas trees, fake snow and fairy lights, while Will even filmed a short festive video, A Smith Family Christmas. From magic tricks to sing-alongs, the video offered fans a glimpse inside the Smith household on the run-up to the big day.
Then, in 2019, Will organised another sing-a-long, this time a karaoke duet with his daughter, Willow. The event was nicknamed “Jadachella" – a nod to the annual music festival, Coachella. Sparing no expense, this family certainly doesn't cut corners when it comes to Christmas. If you'd like to mimic Will and Jada's playful Christmas celebrations, it seems you'll need a whole lot of energy (and money).
It’s never too early to get glammed up for Christmas as far as Jennifer Lopez is concerned. She took to Instagram at the start of November 2022 to post this stunning picture of herself rocking a holly berry red lip and a scarlet blouse commenting: “Ready to GLOW ALL OUT this holiday season,” using the opportunity to plug her range JLo Beauty. The party season is officially open.
She proved she was just like the rest of us in an adorable video she posted of herself and her family making waffles during the festive season in 2021. Shot in the stunning kitchen of her Bel Air mansion, which she bought for $28 million (£23.1m) in 2016, we see make-up free JLo in her PJs whipping up piping hot waffles with cream and berries in front of a line of twinkling Christmas trees.
The year before in 2020 she served up a treat when she agreed to do a duet of the Christmas song ‘It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year’ with vocal coach Stevie Mackey for his album of the same name. “We throw Taco Tuesday Christmas parties every year and it reminded her of that,” said Stevie, who has worked with everyone from JLo to Selena Gomez.
The star loves to cook over the holidays and according to Chris Appleton, her longtime hair stylist, she served up an impressive turkey on her Christmas Eve dinner at her home in 2021. The pair are posing in a corner of what appears to be her Bel Air home alongside some sophisticated decorations, which we think set off JLo’s Ralph & Russo gown rather nicely.
The star is not too grand to get her hands dirty however, decorating the tree with her kids in this 2018 photograph. She was still in a relationship with baseball player Alex Rodriguez at the time and is seen decking the halls of their Miami house with the help of some very eager elves. “The best times are with these lil ones..” she commented on her Instagram.
If you know anything about us, you'll know we're big fans of Chip and Joanna Gaines, not least because their incredible Fixer Upper home renovations never fail to inspire. The HGTV power couple is also all about food, family and festivities, and every year they go all out to create a winter wonderland that teams tradition with their signature modern farmhouse style...
As you’d expect, Chip and Joanna know how to make Christmas look good at their family home in Waco, Texas. As well as decking the halls with beautiful decorations, handing out exquisite gifts and spending lots of time together at home, Joanna also hits the kitchen, cooking up festive treats for the whole family to enjoy. And of course, her creations are always immaculately presented. There are also plenty of family movie nights, baking afternoons and craft sessions.
The Gaines’ Christmas celebrations are based on long-standing family traditions, many of which are well worth stealing for yourself. During a video filmed in collaboration with Target, Chip revealed the couple’s favourite annual ritual: "Every year I wrap the doorway for the kids to run through on their way to opening the gifts. It's such a fun way for them to get pumped up for the festive day ahead. We love to see the anticipation and excitement on their faces.”
Joanna started early in 2021 and set up one of her Christmas trees with her youngest son Crew, now four, at the beginning of November. No matter how hard we try, we doubt our Christmases could ever be as stylish as theirs!
Nobody gets more excited about Christmas than Rihanna and to prove it she posted a video of herself dancing around the Christmas tree in 2019. With the caption, “When they left u home alone with Alexa,” the ‘Diamonds’ star shows off her merengue Latin moves. She has added reason to dance for joy this year as it will be her first Christmas as a mother, having given birth to her son in May.
The Fenty founder posted this super cute image of herself when she was a little girl in Barbados on Christmas Day 2021. She has been less forthcoming with photos of her first child with rapper A$AP Rocky however, who was born 13 May 2022. The couple are yet to announce the little boy’s name. One thing’s for sure though. He is going to be spoilt rotten this Christmas.
The star tends to fly home to Barbados whenever she can for the Christmas holidays. And given that she is, according to Forbes, the wealthiest female musician in the world, she can flash the cash when it comes to buying presents for the folks back home. Here she is the night before Christmas in 2017, emptying her sacks of gifts underneath the tree.
Friends and family are central to the meaning of Christmas for Rihanna. The ‘Love on the Brain’ singer shared a series of festive snaps with fans in 2013, where she can be seen singing along to Mariah Carey Christmas songs and wrapping presents and getting ready for Christmas parties with her old friends from the island. She is also seen wearing reindeer antlers giving her mum, Monica, a big hug.
Rihanna is also a favourite auntie back in Barbados, seen here with baby cousin Majesty in 2016, who is two-and-a-half in this photo. The pair were also shown in matching PJs waiting for Santa on Christmas Eve, so the ‘Lift Me Up’ songstress has had plenty of festive experience with the kiddies to draw on with her little angel this Christmas.
A-list power couple John Legend and Chrissy Teigen are known for their sense of humour and fun-filled family life, which they share snippets of on Instagram. So, of course, Christmas is a special time in their household. In fact, in 2018, Legend released his first festive album, A Legendary Christmas, which accompanied a special TV variety show. Yet instead of spending their time at home in Beverly Hills, John and Chrissy prefer to celebrate the holidays further afield.
The couple spent Christmas 2017 in a clandestine desert location with only a beautiful canyon and their daughter Luna, then 20 months old, for company. The family-orientated trip was all about long walks in nature, curling up by the fireside and cooking up plenty of Chrissy's favourite recipes, including Tyler Florence's ultimate beef wellington and Nigella Lawson’s cider and five-spice bundt cake with salted caramel sauce.
Then, in 2019, the couple headed to Wyoming for a cosy, snow-filled Christmas, before flying off to sunnier climes to see in the New Year with their two children, Luna and Miles. During their winter retreat, the couple arranged for Santa Claus to pop by to surprise the kids. Chrissy filmed the whole thing and posted a heartfelt video on her Instagram page, which captured her daughter's endearing reaction.
Most recently in 2020, the family jetted off to St. Barts for their festive celebrations. However, they also love to spend time at their Los Angeles home before heading off. Last year, Chrissy and John decked out their home with snow-dusted Christmas trees and nutcrackers, so that Miles and Luna could get into the festive spirit.
For actor and mother-of-three Hilary Duff, Christmas is all about family and making the holidays as magical as possible for her little ones. The former Lizzie McGuire star is a self-confessed festive fanatic and loves to gather her troop together for everything from Christmas tree shopping to visits to Santa's grotto, making her annual celebrations totally down to earth.
In 2019, the musician and actor took her family to find the perfect Christmas tree to decorate. The photo they captured during the trip offered an authentic window into their everyday family life and proved that no one is immune to their children throwing the odd tantrum, yet another reason why we love Hilary Duff.
Then, on 21 December 2019, Hilary and her musician boyfriend, Matthew Koma, tied the knot during a winter wonderland wedding. An intimate affair, the stunning ceremony took place in the couple's home, with the reception in their incredible backyard. The happy couple then followed-up their clandestine ceremony with a honeymoon in South Africa, seeing in the New Year in style.
Fast forward to 2020 and, amid the Coronavirus pandemic, Hilary and her eldest son Luca enjoyed a sweet breakfast in front of their white and silver christmas tree to kick off the celebration in style.
Everyone knows that the Kardashian-Jenner clan like to celebrate in style, think extravagant birthday parties and family vacations we could only dream of. One major festive tradition is their annual Christmas card photoshoot, which has become progressively more lavish as the years have gone on. This holiday card was captured in 2018 and was the family's last group Christmas card before they went on to take photos in their individual family groups.
Of course, the Kardashians also know how to decorate and don't hold back when it comes to glitz and glamour, turning their palatial pads into winter wonderlands. In 2016, Kris Jenner even called in floral designer Jeff Leatham to help transform the original Kardashian house into the Christmas crib of dreams. The extravagant decorations included a giant red polar bear custom made from metal and glass that was flown over from Paris.
While it didn't happen in 2020, the Kardashians' annual Christmas Eve party is the stuff of legends. Every year, the reality TV family host a lavish extravaganza kitted out with immaculate décor to wow their star-studded guests. Over the years, the event has attracted the likes of Jennifer Lopez, Paris Hilton and John Legend. In 2018, Kim and Kanye hosted the soirée for the first time, spending an estimated $1.3 million (£1.1m) on the all-white, snow-filled affair, according to People.
Each year the party gets more extravagant, and in 2019 Kris's eldest daughter Kourtney took over the reins. The glitzy bash featured everything from a real-life Elf on the Shelf to an upside-down Christmas tree and even a live performance from Sia. Special guests included Kylie's boyfriend Travis Scott, and Elon Musk, while event planner Mindy Weiss, who worked on Justin Bieber and Hailey Baldwin’s wedding, organised the event's outdoor Christmas décor. We can't wait to see if they host a party this year!
Since their December wedding in 2018, Nick Jonas and Priyanka Chopra like to enjoy a truly international Christmas period. From flying off to England to celebrate with their extended family to welcoming in the New Year on a romantic ski trip in Switzerland, this superstar duo know how to celebrate in style.
In 2016, The Jonas Brothers spoke to food magazine Delish about their traditions, revealing that as kids they enjoyed shrimp creole on the big day each year. Meanwhile, in 2018, the couple flew to the UK to celebrate the holidays with Nick's brother and bandmate, Joe Jonas, and his partner Sophie Turner, the pair were married the following year. The homely, festive affair was all about food and country walks.
A few days later, the two Hollywood couples flew off to the ski slopes for a joint vacation in Verbier, Switzerland. Spending their days on the slopes, their afternoons with hot drinks in the resort's après ski bars, and their evenings curled up around the fire, the trip was enough to make us green with envy.
In 2020, in the midst of the pandemic, the Hollywood couple were stranded in London for the festive season due to travel restrictions. They spent Christmas eve strolling around the streets of the city with their pet dog, while Priyanka donned some seriously novel glasses!
Reese Witherspoon is another huge holiday fan. The award-winning actor takes part in all aspects of the festive countdown, from picking her own tree from the farm to organising the annual Christmas card photoshoot. Reese's festive holiday is also all about traditions. In 2018, she revealed the family's Christmas Day routine on the blog of her clothing company, Draper James: "On Christmas morning, the kids wake us up early to open gifts. Then we spend the day cooking and baking and finish out the day with a good Christmas movie by the fire."
The Witherspoon clan are also big into their custom Christmas cards. In 2018, Reese shared this sweet snap, which features her husband Jim Toth and her three children, Ava, Deacon and Tennessee. "Even though they are growing up, my kids already have really fond memories of our Christmas traditions," The Morning Show star told People in 2016. Every year, she gets out the advent calendars, decorates gingerbread houses with her tribe, and makes everything from cookies to baked hams.
In 2019, Reese also offered us a further glimpse into her family's Christmas celebrations, posting a photo of the Witherspoon women during the family's annual festive gathering: "We sing Christmas carols at our holiday party each year," she told Draper James. "Everyone takes a part." In early January 2020, the Little Fires Everywhere star also shared snaps of the family's New Year's ski trip in Montana.
Not one to shy away from sharing an insight into her family life, in 2020 Reese shared a family photo on Christmas day with her husband and three children in matching black onesies. The group stood in front of their Christmas tree, while their traditional-style stockings hung over the fireplace.
Clearly, family is the most important thing about Christmas for the Legally Blonde star, who posted this intimate shot of herself with her sons Tennessee and Deacon last year, commenting: "Where I want to be. With my family. By a fire. Laughing. Enjoying each other's company," which pretty much sums up the festive season for most of us.
No one does it quite like the Queen of Christmas, Mariah Carey. According to The Economist, the singer's festive hit, 'All I Want for Christmas Is You', had reportedly made her a staggering $60 million (£52m) by 2016, since it was released in 1994. Synonymous with festive cheer, the song celebrated its 25th anniversary in 2019 and on Christmas Eve 2018 it broke Spotify’s global single-day streaming record, reaching almost 11 million listens. No wonder Mariah is obsessed with Christmas...
For Mariah, the festivities officially begin on 23 December every year, when she travels to Aspen with her two children, Moroccan and Monroe Cannon. For the global superstar, the season is all about making the holidays as magical as possible. In 2019, Mariah told Cosmopolitan her strict Christmas rules: “You’re not invited if you’re going to cause any drama,” she told them. “There are no fights on Christmas.”
In Aspen, Mariah pulls out all the stops: “We’ll go through the woods on a two-horse open sleigh with blankets and real reindeer... It’s an incredible moment I love every year." Mariah also cooks the festive roast, with the help of a sous-chef, of course: "I cook a couple of different things, secret family recipes from my dad. Then Santa comes and hangs out with us." Is Christmas even Christmas if you don't have a photoshoot with Mr Claus?
Every year, the superstar declares an early start to Christmas, taking to Instagram on 1 November to welcome in the festive season. In 2021 she could be seen smashing up pumpkins in a fun video which was filmed outside the front of her house.
After 13 years living under the strict conservatorship of her dad, Britney Spears spent her first liberated Christmas in 2021 cosied up in her palatial mansion in the heart of Los Angeles with her fiancé Sam Asghari. Having previously been unable to make basic financial and medical decisions about her everyday life, the pop princess finally had something to celebrate.
The star is a big fan of the festive season and in 2019 went all out with her Christmas decorations, adorning the outside of her Thousand Oaks home with a huge collection of lights. Back in 2012 meanwhile, it was reported that she spent a whopping $3,400 (£3,000) on Christmas lights alone!
In 2021, as her conservatorship battle was coming to an end, Britney decided to celebrate the holidays early and put up her tree in October. Sharing her worries about being free after 13 years in a lengthy Instagram post, she revealed that celebrating Christmas early was her way of finding joy in life.
However, by the beginning of December Britney had opted for a change, and decided to decorate her tree in a red theme after following a pink motif for four years running. She adorned the tree with gold and red ribbon and red and white baubles. We can't wait to see how she celebrates in years to come.
2020 saw many of us spending Christmas at home with our nearest and dearest, and Ariana Grande's celebrations were no different. The 'thank u, next' singer took to Instagram over the festive season to show off her cosy Christmas with her family.
Not long after becoming engaged to her now-husband, Dalton Gomez, in December 2020, Ariana gave fans a sneak peek of what went on behind closed doors on her Instagram feed. The small group, which included Ariana's mum Joan, her half-brother Frankie and her friend Doug Middlebrook, spent the day cooking up a storm in the kitchen.
The Grammy-award winner also proudly showed off her Christmas tree to her loyal fans. Opting for a real tree, she went for minimal decorations that included fairy lights some big baubles and some red berries. Minimalist and chic, this is one of our favourite trees for a no-hassle Christmas decor option.
As well as spending time with her closest friends and family, in 2020 Ariana also celebrated Christmas with a generous gesture. The popstar gifted hundreds of young hospital patients in Manchester with £100 ($114) Amazon vouchers following the devastating attack at her concert there in 2017.
Miley Cyrus may not be hosting Christmas this year after she sold her luxury ranch in Tennessee in August 2022, where she celebrated the festive season with her family in 2021. The popstar is seen here alongside her mother Tish, who is holding her baby nephew, Bear, the son of her brother Braison and wife Stella, also pictured. The ‘Wrecking Ball’ star joked about the tot being the only ‘not high’ family member.
The star shared some festive photos with her family—including her dad country singer Billy Ray Cyrus—in 2019 with the caption: “Happy Holidays from America’s most dysfunctional family.” She may not feel like celebrating this year however, following her parents’ divorce after 27 years of marriage. She would be forgiven if she opted for a quiet Christmas instead with musician Maxx Morando, who she has been dating since January 2022.
Most middle-aged dads out there will relate to this adorable snap of the Beckhams around a beautifully decorated Christmas tree in 2021. Look closely and you will note that David appears to be standing on his tip-toes to catch up with Brooklyn, Romeo and Cruz, seen here in matching dark suits. It’s one of the occupational hazards, we’re afraid David, of having three grown-up sons.
The Beckham Christmas may be a little tense for 2022, as, according to reports, the Beckhams are disappointed that eldest son Brooklyn and new wife Nicola Peltz plan to spend their second married Christmas with the bride’s family in Miami, rather than with the Beckham clan. Rift rumours between Victoria and Nicola started when the bride chose a Valentino gown instead of a dress designed by VB for the couple's wedding in April 2022.
Christmas is a big deal for the Beckhams, who traditionally spend the holidays at their £6.2 million ($7.3m) converted farmhouse in the Cotswolds, where even the dogs wear Christmas sweaters (we love a pampered pooch). The Beckhams have suggested a pre-Christmas get-together for Brooklyn and Nicola as an alternative to coming for Christmas, or failing that, a holiday in Miami in the New Year. It’s a win, win situation either way.
Christmas was a much more low-key affair when David was growing up. The former footballer posted this lovely picture of himself with his dad on Christmas Day on his father’s birthday in July 2022. We love the paper Christmas hats, the festive tablecloth and the Christmas cards lined up over the mantelpiece, and of course his dad plying him with wine. Life was simpler then.
It’s unclear where Ozzy and Sharon Osbourne will be spending Christmas 2022 after putting their longtime LA home on the market. Luckily, the pair have a Grade II-listed house in Buckinghamshire at their disposal back in the UK, where they are due to film their new docuseries Home To Roost. And with a combined fortune of $440 million (£348m), they will be ‘Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree’ in no time.
The family, here in 2021, have spent many happy Christmases at their 11,565-square-foot Hancock Place mansion, which hit the market for $18 million in July 2022. With seven bedrooms, 11 bathrooms and a gourmet kitchen, it has been the ideal place to celebrate the festive season over the years. The house hasn't sold yet and according to reports, Ozzy may be having cold feet about the move back to the UK, so watch this space.
Sharon posted this image of her and youngest daughter Kelly battling to dress the tree back in 2016. Like many of us, she has collected her tree decorations over the years and enjoys the creative process every year. Her decision to return to the UK was partly prompted by her sacking from her long-time show The Talk. She has since returned to our screens on the UK’s TalkTV with Piers Morgan.
One of Sharon’s favourite Christmas traditions has been to enjoy breakfast in bed, seen here in 2016. However, it is unlikely her husband Ozzy will be up to the task anymore. The Black Sabbath frontman was diagnosed with Parkinson’s Disease in 2019 and underwent spinal surgery following a fall the same year. According to reports, he has endured a further two operations in 2022.
Nobody could accuse Sharon of not entering into the spirit of Christmas. She dressed up for a musical holiday episode of her show The Talk in 2019 and when she was filming MTV’s reality show The Osbournes, would give viewers a glimpse of the holiday season at their home by dressing up the dogs in festive attire, while Ozzy reluctantly did a holiday duet of ‘Winter Wonderland’ with reality star Jessica Simpson.
Finally, some sound advice for a perfect Christmas from the undisputed Queen of Christmas homemaking, Martha Stewart, who knows how to be the hostess with the mostess. Martha recommends you "assess your budget and occasion, include tried-and-true dishes and strategise your shopping". Also, concentrate on low effort, big impact details such as making and decorating cookies for place names at the Christmas table. Lastly, it's no secret that Martha's favourite Christmas décor colour is gold.
It’s no surprise that America’s domestic goddess apportions just as much love and attention to her own Christmas decorations at her historic farmstead in Katonah, New York, where she traditionally welcomes 200 guests every year to her annual bash. This splendid pair of classic Douglas firs look magnificent in the Green Room of her Bedford home which she bought in 2000 for $15.2 million (£13.1m). We just wish we were invited.
Loved this? We have plenty more celebrity home tours and festive inspiration.