CELEBRITY HOLIDAY TRADITIONS

CELEBRITY HOLIDAY TRADITIONS

Whether you celebrate Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa or Festivus, we bet you have some special ways of observing the holidays. Well, guess what? So do celebs! Keep clicking to see how your favorite stars make the holidays merry and bright, and see if you share the same traditions. Katy Perry likes her Christmas tree pink, while Jennifer Aniston hosts a party with three types of chili. Here's how thestars are celebrating the season

Mariah Carey

You may listen to her "All I Want For Christmas Is You" album to get into the holiday spirit, but Mimi has a much odder way of ringing in the season. While visiting Aspen for Christmas, she likes to snuggle into the snow in a bikini after a hot tub dip. "It's a tradition for us to have Santa Claus-looking bikinis, jump in the hot tub, and roll in the fresh snow," she tells Us Weekly. "Somebody told me that it was a tradition in Aspen, but maybe they were lying to me." Um, you think? Let's just hope she doesn't pass that tradition on to Monroe and Moroccan.

Jennifer Aniston

Jennifer Aniston is quite the holiday hostess! "I do a tree-trimming party every year," she tells Allure of her annual soiree, which she'll hold for the 16th time this year. "At my tree-trimming party, we always do chili: turkey, regular beef and vegetarian. Everybody is satisfied." Everybody who's lucky enough to get an invite, that is

Katy Perry and Russell Brand

Everyone in Katy's family always gets to open one present on Christmas Eve. But the preacher's daughter switched a lot up last year for her inaugural holiday season as Mrs. Russell Brand. The couple personalized the celebration with a pink Christmas tree and a tofurkey. Doing something new was important to Katy, she told
U.K.'s Grazia magazine, "because we are a family now."

Angelina Jolie

Angelina is generous all year round, but during the Christmas season, she likes to give in a certain type of fashion. "I'm obsessive on stockings. I like to get as many little possible things and wrap them," she tells iVillage.

The Kardashians

If you haven't seen the Kardashians' krazy Kristmas kards, then you're missing out. The family gets decked out for their themed photo, like last year's mafia-inspired shot. Kris also throws an annual
Christmas Eve soiree, after which everyone receives matching pajamas to wear to sleep that night. "We got striped pajamas, and we all looked like elves… or maybe Waldo," Kim wrote on her blog last year. Would you want to spend Christmas with the Kardashians?

Reese Witherspoon

We're glad Reese has such a beautiful voice, because this actress loves to go Christmas caroling. "I have a Christmas caroling party right before Christmas," she tells "Extra." "I love to sing and have fun." Also on Reese's holiday to-do list is making cookies for Santa on Christmas Eve, hanging stockings, and decorating the
tree with her kids, Ava and Deacon. Fine family fun!

Ryan Gosling

Sick of hearing "Grandma Got Run Over by a Reindeer" over and over again? At least you're listening to what's playing at the Gosling household. "My mother always insists on playing that awful Hanson Christmas record every holiday season," Ryan has said. "I don't like it at all, but she really loves it, and we all just humor her and
smile when it's on. But the truth is, if she stopped playing it, then it would not be Christmas.

Kate Hudson

Kate must get tons of invites to holiday soirees, but she'd rather play hostess than guest. The actress tells InStyle that her favorite holiday tradition is "hosting sit-down, dress-up dinner parties with my girlfriends." And Kate always makes sure her parties have a Christmas touch. "I always make a special cocktail and even put
little wreaths around the table," she says. We guess our invitations have gotten lost in the mail all these years. Right?

The Jonas Brothers

While they grew up in a very atypical fashion  the Jonas Brothers celebrate Christmas morning in traditional Texan fashion: eating tamales. "It's pretty awesome," Nick tells InStyle. "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.

Zoe Saldana

With Zoe's busy shooting schedule, it must be rough to keep her childhood holidays traditions. But she's rolled with the punches. "It doesn't matter where we meet around the world, as long as we are together," the actress tells iVillage. "Whether we are eating turkey, a grilled cheese sandwich or rice and beans, our tradition
is to be together." After all, isn't that the true meaning of the holiday season?

Tim McGraw

Tim may be a Louisiana boy, but on Christmas Eve, he pays homage to his Italian heritage. "I grew up with pasta on Christmas Eve. So it's passed on to me now," Tim once told Oprah Winfrey. "I make the pasta every Christmas Eve. We have spaghetti and meatballs." Yum!

Kristen Bell

It's no wonder Kristen ended up playing detective Veronica Mars. She spent her Christmases growing up being a little sneak! "I was the little   ... I weighed 30 pounds my entire life, and I was the only one that didn't make the steps creak," she tells iVillage. "would send me downstairs and I would have to go ... with a little pair of scissors and open everything up and go, 'OK, Jody got a bicycle,' and I'd close it back up and then they made me go back upstairs and tell them what it was." OK, it may not have been a parent-sanctioned tradition, but it was a tradition nonetheless.

The Osbournes

Does it surprise you that Ozzy, Sharon, Kelly and Jack have had some wacky holiday customs over the years? For example, when the kids were little, Sharon made Ozzy tape horseshoes to the bottom of his feet and stand on the top of house with a bell to make the kids think Santa was there, Kelly tells Bing. And every year,
Sharon buys Kelly a pair of pajamas for Christmas, which she wears the next year on Christmas Eve. See? It's not all lunacy at the Osbournes' house.

Cate Blanchett

How does this Aussie actress celebrate Christmas? "We have a traditional, big English roast, which no one wants to eat because it's so hot, so there's a lot of food," she tells Oprah Winfrey. Wait a second, why is it hot? Well, because Australia is below the equator, Christmastime is summertime for Australians. Imagine having that big
feast during Fourth of July!

Tori Spelling and Dean McDermott

The Spelling-McDermott clan has more than they need, so they make sure to share the wealth with the less fortunate during the holiday season. "Every year we adopt a family and make sure they have presents under the tree and all the things they need for the holiday," Dean tells People

James Franco

Some people dread going home for the holidays. Not James Franco! "I'm so busy all year that Christmas is great because that's when I get to go home and visit all the people who I've known for years," James has said. I go house to house and hang out by their Christmas trees. Sometimes we sing songs and catch up on how
the year has been. It's a great time, and I look forward to it all year long."

Juliette Lewis

Chinese food and movies on Christmas are usually associated with Jews, but Juliette's Christian family has always taken in a flick on Christmas. "You can get into any movie theater, as there are no long lines; it's practically empty inside," Juliette has said. "I get to catch up on all the latest, in-demand films, and I usually
see about three of them that day. I've been doing it since I was very young. Maybe that's why I went into acting."

Paul Rudd

Bagels and shmear don't seem like typical Christmas fare, but they are for this actor! "I guess it's all the time I spent in New York, but eating bagels on Christmas morning is something I got in the habit of doing a while back, and now it's become a tradition," he has said. "I'm not kidding here. I like bagels, and having them on
Christmas, such a peaceful day, makes the day even better for me. Really." We believe you!

Scotty McCreery

It's been a crazy year for Scotty, but fortunately, he has his traditional Christmas to come home to. The McCreery family Christmas includes candlelight Christmas Eve services at First Baptist Garner and a feast that includes mom Judy's sausage balls, Grandma Paquita's flan and Grandma Janet's broccoli cornbread,
People reports. Waiting for Scotty and family under the tree will be red foil-wrapped presents, and beside it will be cookies for Santa

Melissa Joan Hart

Growing up, Melissa's mom held a fancy holiday party for friends and family. But now that she's a mom, the actress does just the opposite. Every year, she holds a tacky holiday sweater party, during which families compete against one another. "People got very, very creative," she tells People. "But my favorite thing to do
was to go on eBay!" Not only is the dress code tasteless, but so are the decorations, Melissa says: "We threw up a white Christmas tree, and I got a cardboard cutout of Santa.

Keri Hilson

Keri's Christmases are extra special because her mom celebrates her birthday on Christmas Eve. "We wake up real early and cook her breakfast. That usually entails me cooking my famous vanilla rum French toast," Keri tells Essence. "We spend the night together, and we all wake up at the same time on Christmas Day. I'm always
on stocking-stuffer duty. I fill it with albums, products and whatever I can challenge myself to put in them every year."

Maria Menounos

Maria used to spend the holiday season freezing her butt off in Medford, Mass., but not anymore. Instead, she's created a new tradition for herself since moving to sunny L.A. and becoming famous. "I heat my pool, and we swim at Christmas," she tells InStyle. "We send pictures  back east, and everyone hates us
for some weird reason." Hmm, we wonder why

Tandi Burruss

This "The Real Housewives of Atlanta" star keeps her holiday celebration very family-oriented. "Usually for Christmas, I go to my Aunt Bertha's house and eat dinner and play cards all day," Kandi tells Essence. "And on New Year's Eve, I go to my aunt's house and eat collard greens and black-eyed peas. Last year was the
first time I broke the tradition when I went to the Bahamas." Hey, if you're going to break tradition, the Bahamas isn't such a bad place to do it

Christina Milian

As a child, Christina loved spending her Christmases with Charlie Brown and Snoopy. "My mom watched 'A Charlie Brown Christmas' with me, and I will watch it with my daughter, " she tells People. "Charlie Brown's tree was so sparse. It couldn't hold a candle to the Milian trees, which were always big and filled with decorations.
They get bigger and bigger every year.

Nate Berkus

We'd guess that Nate's favorite holiday tradition would be decorating the Christmas tree, but it's not. The design expert loves "warm cinnamon rolls on Christmas morning," he tells iVillage. Think he's any good at making them or just at eating them?

Whitney Cummings

Need your gifts wrapped this holiday season? Give this comedian a ring. "I'm weirdly good at it, and it's oddly calming," she tells iVillage. "I love the math of it and how productive it feels when you're done. All that, just to watch someone rip it off and ruin your hard work. This likely proves that I have a lot of psychological disorders.

Surprising Celeb Relatives

Surprising Celeb Relatives

Surprising Celeb Relatives, A knack for being a great performer sometimes runs in the family -- and in turn, so does fame. Find out who stars like Tom Cruise, Blake Lively and Gwyneth Paltrow claim as famous relatives.

"Gossip Girl" star Blake Lively gets a lot of attention nowadays, but she's not the only actor on the family. In fact, everyone in her family is an actor, but her older sister made a name for herself playing an '80s-tastic witch and a "Twin Peaks" seductress.

Of course, anyone who's ever picked up a copy of Entertainment Weekly knows that Gwyneth Paltrow is the daughter of actress Blythe Danner and director Bruce Paltrow. But two of Gwyneth's cousins are famous too.

Macaulay Culkin has been famous for most of his life, but he -- and, by extension, all the other assorted Culkins -- have a famous aunt who helped him get into showbiz.

Melissa McCarthy wasn't always the funny one in her family. About a decade before her rise to fame, her funny cousin had all the glory. In fact, the cousin helped Melissa get started in Hollywood to begin with.

They're not first cousins, but Brooke Shields and another well-known actress are closely enough related that you'd expect their relationship to be better known. Both of them rose to fame around the same time and still act today...

They're not first cousins, but Brooke Shields and another well-known actress are closely enough related that you'd expect their relationship to be better known. Both of them rose to fame around the same time and still act today...

Sitcoms aren't the only form of TV that the Schwimmer family has taken over. While David Schwimmer made his name on "Friends," his cousin made hers on a certain competitive reality show about 10 years later.

Tom Cruise has one of the most famous faces in Hollywood. But you might not realize that he has an actor cousin who bears a certain resemblance. You've probably seen this guy -- especially if you were a "Lost" fan -- but once you notice the resemblance, you can't un-see it.

If you watched her in "Saturday Night Live," then you'd know that Maya Rudolph has a great singing voice. But what late '70s chanteuse was Rudolph's mother?

Nicolas Cage might have changed his last name, but he's still related to one of the most powerful families in showbiz. And as result of this fact, two of his cousins are also A-list celebrities.

Norah Jones has become a household name and a radio regular as a result of her work as a singer-songwriter. She also happens to have a father who is a veritable music legend -- and was one of the major influences on The Beatles -- but whom she saw seldom while she was growing up.

The story of Christian Bale's stepmother is a bit of a tearjerker. A famous feminist, she didn't marry until she found the right guy -- at age 66. Unfortunately, this gentleman, environmental activist Bale, died just three years later.

Kyra Sedgwick also comes from a talented family with knack for getting its name in the news. But of all her relatives, one stands out most. In fact, this '60s icon was played by Sienna Miller in a movie about her life.

A lanky, red-headed Irish comedian? Conan O'Brien has to be the only one, right? Nope -- there's another famous Irish funnyman out there who's also well-known. And he happens to O'Brien's cousin through marriage.

No longer "that girl from 'The Goonies,'" Martha Plimpton has found a second career cracking jokes on the sitcom "Raising Hope." But Plimpton had a powerful Hollywood family to fall back on. And perhaps most famous among her relations is a certain late uncle with a talent for martial arts.

From "Wings" to "Private Practice," Tim Daly has maintained a presence on TV for years. But he's not the first in his family to do so. His aunt became famous years earlier playing a TV detective.

Sissy Spacek has been a Hollywood star for years, but even if you followed her work from the get-go, you might not know that she has a cousin with an equally long-lived career. He counts everything from "Men in Black" to "30 Rock" among his credits.

Moby has parlayed his DJ work into status as one of Hollywood's smarter, artsier celebs. But it very well might be that he inherited his creativity from his famous ancestor. Hint: Moby's name is a clue.

Long after "Happy Days" ended its run, Henry Winkler is still strongly identified as The Fonz. But Winkler has a cousin who's perhaps just as strongly identified with a single TV character. In fact, he's played the character on nine different TV shows.

George W. Bush was the 43rd president of the United States. But what's his tie to Hollywood -- you know, aside from presiding over the country where Hollywood is located? It's a good one, and you have to wonder what liberal-leaning celebs would have made of it.

Bing Back of Hair (The Best Hair Of 2011)

The Best Hair Of 2011Bing Back of Hair (The Best Hair Of 2011)

Bing Back of Hair, looking back: the hottest hair of 2011. Go behind this year's biggest hair trends—and see if you can guess these stars by their style.
A high pony like the one on this model works if your hair is long and thick. Otherwise, try one of these clips to plump up a puny pony.

The Best Hair Of 2011. Best Of 2011 All right, roll call: So far we've shown you the best shoes, the best nails, and even the best makeup, but, girl, we need to talk about that HAIR. From Evan Rachel Wood's dramatic change from shoulder-length waves to a choppy, textured pixie to Katy Perry's slow-but-steady transition from black to pink (!!!), 2011 was filled with epic tonsorial moments that definitely merit mention in our countdown. Some would say we've got the best HAIR RIGHT HURR. Others of us would say that it's corny to say stuff like that out loud. Others still would say that this is a free country and naysayers can suck it. ANYWAY: hair.


RETRO WAVES AND VICTORY ROLLS

It's one thing to spot a gal sporting '50s pin curls or a Marcell waved blonde bob, but it's a whole other ballgame when stylized 'dos look modern. Rihanna's twin Victory Rolls are offset by the casual cascade of bright red curls down her back. Kelly Osbourne's perfected the Marilyn Monroe waved bob with the ideal degree of structure and softness, but the thing that prevents it from becoming too slavish an homage is her rock and roll dark roots. Katy Perry sported a barrel-curled bang that's a fantastic throwback to '40s style but with the contemporary edge of a bright pink palette.
RAPUNZEL PONYTAILS

These undulating ponytails were the hair DUH moment of the year. How is it that applying multiple elastic bands every few inches along a ponytail can end up looking so awesome? Some of our fave cascading ponytails were seen on Olivia Wilde (who looked lovely and gamine under heavy bangs), Lady Gaga (extra kudos for using her hair as a rubberband), and Kat DeLuna (who slicked it back on top but kept it messy on the bottom). So easy, so breezy, so worth the countless "ouchless" rubber bands that will populate the bottom of your purse...

OMBRÉ

Ombré color schemes began inching up celebrities' coifs back in 2010, but mostly we were talking brunette roots that faded into blonde tips. This year, ombré was taken to a whole OTHER extreme with dazzling colors and more dramatic blonde-to-brunette contrasts. Nicki Minaj's blonde coif transforms from highlighter yellow to tangerine orange into bubble gum pink. That's right—she's sporting not one, but FOUR colors on a single wig head of hair. #jealous. Beyoncé's strands start out as a rich honey blonde and transform into a deep chestnut brown for a high contrast gradation while Jessie J rocked jet black with bright red tips. We give her bonus points for matching her red-and-black hair to her red-and-black outfit because, um, that's THOROUGH.


TEXTURED MICRO 'DOS

It takes a glut of gumption to chop off your locks—especially if they've been a part of your look since forever ago. We give these girls their proper dues for not only taking the hair plunge, but styling their short strands in the most cop-worthy manner. Ginnifer Goodwin has been a master of shorter styles for a couple of years now, but her razor-cut pixie frames her heart-shaped face beautifully. However, it was Evan Rachel Wood who underwent the biggest transformation this year—going from shoulder-length curls to barely there hair. Here, she slicks back the sides and leaves all the volume on top for an '80s-inspired lift. Carey Mulligan's deep side-parted pixie looks as elegant as it does '60s mod-chic with strong brows and enormous doe eyes completing the look.


BLUNT BANGS, BRIGHT HAIR

Short blunt bangs are cyclical, but this year they came with a twist—super bright 'dos. Katy Perry, Jessie J, and Lady Gaga all flaunted thick, straight-across bangs in hyper-saturated hues. Katy and Lady Gaga paired their extra short fringe with long strands while Jessie J kept her fire engine red bob close to her chin with bangs just brushing her brows.


MILKMAID CROWNS AND FRENCH BRAIDS

Who DOESN'T love a braid?! From fishtails to milkmaids to reverse cowgirls (wait, that last thing is something else ENTIRELY), we've seen multiple versions of the schoolyard mainstay. Rihanna, Elle Fanning, and Kim Kardashian showed off some stellar looks: Rihanna's waist-length side braid was our favorite of the year. (BOOM. Yup, declarative statements FTW.) The braid starts at her temples, meets in the back, slides along her shoulder to snake down her bodice in a red masterpiece. Elle Fanning wore a romantic updo that's completely mimic-worthy with a bit of messiness thrown in for good measure. Kim Kardashian also sported a plait that began as a French braid to keep her side-swept bangs out of her eyes and ended in a side braid that kept her piecey layers tucked in as she served food to the needy on Thanksgiving. As you do...


HIGH, TIGHT, AND SOMETIMES-TO-THE-SIDE PONY

There's nothing we adore more than a great, FIERCE ponytail. Iggy Azalea is the queen of the slicked-back tail—she always wears them high and tight. Plus, she gets extra points for tucking the rubber band under a strand. Bip Ling proves that a high ponytail doesn't have to be severe. She wore hers a little off to the side with a cute, white bow for an extra girly touch. Lady Gaga wielded a super-thick side pony with chunky, blunt-cut layers throughout. INTENSE. Plus, can you imagine the wicked headache you'd get carting that thing around? Total dedication, as usual.


BEACHY WAVES

Every year, the sea salt-misted, slightly crunchy beach wave comes back in style for being awesome. Soft, effortless curls look great on human beings. Pure scientific fact. Some of our favorites blessed the heads of Jessica Simpson, Demi Lovato, and Beyoncé. Jessica's piecey golden waves looked like she came straight from the beach—not overly curled and slightly messy. She even pulled part of her hair back for a twist on the traditional look. Demi pulled her hair half up but left side-swept bangs for a more glamorous take while Beyoncé's blonde locks are curled away from her face for a fresh, layered look that makes her cheekbones look ridic.


MEGA-SATURATED COLOR

You'd have to be completely oblivious (like to where maybe it's a gift) not to notice that a LOT of ladies opted for brightly hued hair this year. We've seen all sorts of noisy confections on our celeb's heads so of course we had to pick our favorites. Lady Gaga went through an aqua hair moment that we couldn't get enough of. Who knew that the seafoam green infamous for making bridesmaids look fuggo looks wonderful when paired with porcelain skin and red lips? Nicki Minaj took her pink and yellow hair color to the next level by twisting the two into one delicious-looking sherbet swirl. But of all the colors we've seen this year, we GOTTA give it up for Katy Perry because her cotton candy strands are actually real. Yeah, that's right, she went from jet black to pink to blonde all in a matter of months AND her hair still looks like it's in tip-top shape. *slow clap with a side eye*

OK, Great Fun  HAVE got to give it up to those ladies who turned their locks into sculptures. It takes serious dedication to tease hair into topiary-worthy styles, so props to Willow Smith, Kat Graham, and Nicki Minaj. Willow transformed her braids into a heart (awww) while Kat Graham took her strands to new heights in a futuristic, undulating beehive. Nicki sported an '80s sculpted perm that takes on a very Gumby-meets-The-Jetsons vibe. We love it all. Now if only we could get their hairstyles to shadow box. That would be pretty.