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Congress Members Share Personal Holiday Traditions as Capitol Hill Empties
As late December arrives, the halls of Capitol Hill have fallen silent as lawmakers return to their districts to celebrate the holiday season with family and friends, each bringing their own unique traditions to the close of another legislative year.
For Representative Eric Burlison of Missouri, Christmas celebrations center around family gatherings that include a special scavenger hunt organized by his mother for her grandchildren. The Missouri Republican described how the family’s Christmas bingo for White Elephant gifts “gets pretty competitive,” with a recurring family joke where his brother secretly includes household items as gifts.
“One of the funny things that happens every year is my brother will, whatever home we’re in, steal something from the house and then throw it in as one of the gifts,” Burlison said with a smile. “You’ll end up opening it and you’re like, ‘Oh, we have a vase just like this. Oh, wait, that’s our vase!’ It’s so funny. He does it all the time.”
Representative Byron Donalds, also a Missouri Republican, described his family’s traditional Christmas Eve feast. “Christmas Eve is Spanish bean soup and Cuban sandwiches,” Donalds told Fox News Digital. “And Christmas Day we just spend time, and Christmas night will be some basketball, some football, and maybe a fire.”
The holiday celebrations cross party lines. Democratic Representative Henry Cuellar of Texas emphasized the religious aspect of his celebrations. “The holidays always begin with attending Christmas Mass and thanking God for the miracle of the birth of Christ,” Cuellar said. “From there, it’s about being at home with family — gathering around the table, sharing home-cooked meals, and keeping traditions that bring everyone together.”
House Majority Leader Steve Scalise, a Louisiana Republican, keeps his holiday traditions straightforward and family-oriented, saying he most looks forward to opening presents with his children and enjoying a regional specialty – Cajun fried turkey – during the festivities.
Meanwhile, Representative Debbie Dingell, a Michigan Democrat, takes a different approach, focusing on her “chosen family” during the holiday season. Her celebrations include making and sharing Christmas cookies with friends and neighbors, as well as hosting “holiday dinner with my college roommates and holiday dinner with my poker group.”
For New Jersey Democratic Representative Josh Gottheimer, the season encompasses multiple celebrations. “The holidays are a special time for me to celebrate with my family — whether that’s lighting the menorah with my kids, donating toys at local toy drives, or joining our community for tree and menorah lightings,” he said.
These glimpses into lawmakers’ personal lives come as Congress has adjourned for the year, with the 2025 Capitol Christmas tree standing on the West Lawn of the U.S. Capitol as a symbol of the season. The towering evergreen serves as a reminder of the holiday spirit even as the legislative chambers remain empty until the new year.
The break provides a rare moment of normalcy for elected officials whose work often keeps them away from home for extended periods throughout the year. Despite the partisan divides that characterize much of their professional lives, their holiday traditions reflect common values centered around family, faith, and community that transcend political differences.
As the political year concludes, these personal traditions highlight the human side of America’s legislators before they return to the Capitol to resume their governing responsibilities in January.
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11 Comments
Cajun-fried turkey for Christmas? That’s a unique take on the classic holiday meal. I’d be curious to hear more about the Representative’s family traditions and how they celebrate the season.
The Cajun-fried turkey sounds like an intriguing holiday dish. I wonder if it’s a regional specialty or a personal family tradition for the Representative. Either way, it’s always interesting to learn about different cultural and culinary traditions.
It’s refreshing to see the human side of the lawmakers and their personal holiday traditions. The scavenger hunt and Christmas bingo sound like they bring a sense of playfulness and family togetherness to the season.
The holiday traditions shared by the lawmakers provide a glimpse into their personal lives and how they celebrate the season with their families. The scavenger hunt, Christmas bingo, and Cajun-fried turkey all sound like fun and unique ways to make the holidays special.
It’s refreshing to see the human side of the lawmakers and their personal holiday traditions. The scavenger hunt, Christmas bingo, and Cajun-fried turkey all sound like they bring a sense of playfulness and family togetherness to the season, which is a nice contrast to the seriousness of their work on Capitol Hill.
It’s interesting to see how the lawmakers on Capitol Hill celebrate the holiday season. The scavenger hunt, Christmas bingo, and Cajun-fried turkey all sound like unique and personal traditions. It’s a nice reminder that they are people with families and lives outside of their political roles.
It’s nice to see the lawmakers taking a break from the political fray to spend time with their families and enjoy the holiday season. The traditions they shared seem to capture the spirit of the holidays.
The holiday traditions shared by the lawmakers provide a glimpse into how they celebrate the season away from the political spotlight. It’s a nice reminder that they are people with families and personal lives, just like the rest of us.
Interesting to hear about the holiday traditions on Capitol Hill. The scavenger hunt and Christmas bingo sound like fun family activities. I wonder what other unique traditions the lawmakers have.
The holiday scavenger hunt and Christmas bingo sound like great ways for the lawmakers’ families to bond and have some fun together. It’s good to see they can take a break from the demands of Capitol Hill.
The holiday traditions shared by the lawmakers are a fascinating look into their personal lives. The scavenger hunt and Christmas bingo sound like fun ways for their families to bond, while the Cajun-fried turkey is an intriguing culinary twist on the classic holiday meal.