Celebs Reveal What Holiday Tradition They Can Do Without

                 By Darlene Donloe

It’s the holiday season! 

It’s that time of year again when a bunch of holidays are happening within weeks of each other. 

The holiday season begins annually in November and ends in January. Several holidays fall within those months, including Thanksgiving, Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, and New Year's. 

Many traditions occur during that time, including families and friends getting together for Thanksgiving to consume lots of turkey and sweet potato pie while watching football. At Christmas, gifts are exchanged, letters are written to Santa, ugly sweaters are worn, carols, parades, lots of get-togethers, families gather, bake cookies, decorate trees and over-eating.  Hanukkah sees the lighting of the menorah each evening, prayers, games, food, songs, eating treats fried in oil, giving children gifts of money, and playing a game with a four-sided top. Kwanzaa traditions include sharing a feast, celebrating Black culture, honoring ancestors, African drumming, candle lighting, and reciting original poetry. New Year’s consists of a midnight kiss, singing Auld Lang Syne, parties, watching the ball drop, making a toast, making New Year’s resolutions, counting down to the New Year, football, and parades. It is usually a colossal celebration of families and friends participating in many traditions.

With so many customs to uphold, I asked several celebrities to name one-holiday tradition they could do without.

Cedric the Entertainer

CEDRIC THE ENTERTAINER 

I’m a big holiday fan. It’s hard to think of kicking any holiday stuff to the curb. It’s gotten a little expensive. I’d say, in general – the friend groups need presents... uh…. I take care of my kids and my wife. Now you gotta think about whether this is really my best friend this year. I got these employees. Then there are the guys who come over every week.  It’s so much. I can’t stress over that. I want to return to when Christmas was about kids – and that was it. All you grown folks – scoot back.

Tichina Arnold 

TICHINA ARNOLD – (The Neighborhood) 

I can do without all of the holidays. They cost so much money, and America bastardizes everything. Every year, I have a Halloween party. I invite the crew—everybody on the show. It’s the one time we get to be together off the set.

  

Mickey Stevenson

MICKEY STEVENSON (Motown legendary songwriter): I can’t think of anything. Maybe the giving of gifts. Every day is special.

 

RICK BRAUN (trumpeter) For 25 years, I was on a Christmas tour. I would say goodbye to my kids on Thanksgiving. I’d get home on Christmas Eve. I did that for 25 years. It was a rigorous tour.

 

Jay Will

JAY WILL: (Rob Peace/Tulsa King) I will turn that around. I can’t do without; I need momma’s yams and cornbread for Thanksgiving. I’m good without having a Christmas. I don’t need it as much. It wouldn’t break my heart.

Dave Koz

DAVE KOZ (jazz trumpeter) – We can do away with excessive gift-giving. We need to do something meaningful. The gift-giving has gotten carried away. There are other ways to show your love. I love Thanksgiving. I’m always on the road because we start our tour the next night. Everyone on the show is together.

Dulce Sloan

DULCE SLOAN – (Comedy Central)

Santa Claus! What’s the point? Your parents work hard every year to buy you toys. Santa has nothing to do with the birth of Christ. He’s pointless.

Jay Ellis 

JAY ELLIS: (Insecure/Top Gun Maverick) People giving out fruitcakes.

 

Sheaun McKinney

SHEAUN MCKINNEY (The Neighborhood) - That’s a good question. You can get rid of the fruitcake. We’re not going caroling. I don’t like snow. I’m from Miami. I love giving gifts. I don’t know.

 

James Anthony Tyler

JAMES ANTHONY TYLER (playwright): The gift giving. The commercialization of Christmas.

Christian Sands

CHRISTIAN SANDS (jazz pianist): Every tradition is necessary.

Michael Sumuel 

MICHAEL SUMUEL: (opera singer)

I can see getting rid of the White Elephant. The abundance of gifts. The older I’ve gotten, the simpler things make me happy.

 

Marcel Spears

MARCEL SPEARS (Marty Butler on ‘The Neighborhood’): I like all of them. Now that I’m an adult and just had a baby, I used to wake up early on Christmas morning. It would be top of the morning. I would instead not do that now. As my daughter gets a little older, I see her joy and energy, and I’m like -----uh, No!  I feel so bad for my parents because I was up at 6 a.m., not knowing they were probably wrapping presents until 2. I’m going to see if I can eliminate the waking up early.  My grandma, who has passed now, would give us all scratchers and put them in our stockings with apples, candy, and stuff. We have decided to keep that tradition going. Somebody wins $5 or $10, and we share. We do stockings. My dad is a pastor, so we must attend church – no matter what.  When I was younger, I didn't appreciate it all.  Now I do.