Joanna Gaines on How Her Household’s Christmas Traditions Have Modified (Unique)

Christmas is beginning to look a bit completely different within the Gaines family.

Joanna Gaines, 46, opened as much as PEOPLE about how her household’s vacation traditions are beginning to change now that her youngsters are rising up and going off to varsity throughout an unique interview about her new design class for MasterClass. 

The Magnolia co-founder shares 5 youngsterswith husband Chip Gaines, 50: sons Drake, 19, Duke, 16, and Crew, 6, in addition to daughters Ella, 18, and Emmie, 14. 

“As they’re getting older, Christmas day appears to be like slower than it used to,” Joanna tells PEOPLE. “We keep in our pajamas all day lengthy and somebody often pulls out a puzzle or board sport that all of us collect round,” she provides, noting that there’s at all times a “aggressive spirit” of their home.

Joanna says that the vacation season is her favourite time of yr as a result of which means her entire household is beneath one roof once more — which is uncommon now that her oldest is away at school.

“I really like the vacations as a result of I do know I’m going to have all my youngsters dwelling, so schedules exit the window,” she says. “We hang around, we chill out, we’re a bit extra spontaneous. We make sizzling cocoa and drive round city to have a look at lights with Christmas music taking part in within the background.”

There’s one factor that does not change, although. “It might be no shock that a lot of the traditions we’ve began as a household revolve round meals,” she says. “The youngsters know that Christmas morning means mama’s cinnamon rolls and hash brown casserole.”

Reflecting on Christmas traditions from her personal childhood, theThe Tales We Inform writer says she made positive to go down a few of her favourite rituals to her youngsters.

“I’ve carried ahead the custom of opening one present on Christmas Eve and saving the remainder for the subsequent morning. And we at all times placed on It’s a Fantastic Life on the finish of the night time earlier than all of us go to sleep,” she says.

Joanna additionally recollects a candy reminiscence that her husband “liked” to do as a child and has now develop into a part of their Christmas routine at their Waco, Texas farmhouse.

“When Chip was little, his dad and mom would cowl the door body nearest to the Christmas tree with butcher paper,” she explains. “On the paper, his dad would draw one thing festive like a set of stockings hung by the fireside, and nobody was allowed to peek behind the paper till Christmas morning when Chip and his sister bought to run by way of it.”

She provides, “Chip liked that reminiscence as a child, so it’s one thing we’ve finished on the farm each Christmas for the reason that youngsters had been younger.”

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Joanna has beforehand been open concerning the significance of “cherishing” valuable moments along with her youngsters, particularly after her son Drake went to varsity in 2023 and her 18-year-old daughter Ella is on the brink of depart the nest quickly. 

To be taught extra about Joanna’s class on MasterClass, go to masterclass.com.