The spouses of several members of President Donald Trump’s cabinet recently shared personal and often warm holiday traditions, ranging from family talent shows and handmade ornaments to nightly Advent candles and cutting down the Christmas tree each year. Their brief conversations give a peek into how different households keep meaningful rituals alive, whether through music, food, prayer, or simple family routines.
The short clip from the White House gathered a handful of these stories, each reflecting a different family’s approach to celebrating Christmas or Hanukkah. The participants included spouses of Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum, and several others. The tone throughout was casual and affectionate, with each spouse describing a tradition that brings their family together in some way.
Cheryl Hines, the wife of Robert F. Kennedy Jr., described a lively custom that leans into lighthearted family competition and performance. “So, the holiday is a really fun time for us, and we like to have a talent show,” she said, offering a snapshot of how big families create space for everyone to participate. She added humor about varied skill levels: “Not everybody’s as talented as they wish they were. But it doesn’t stop us from singing at the top of our lungs. Or doing some crazy dance. But we always have a really good time together.”
Marlo Greer, married to Ambassador Jamieson Greer, talked about a dance tradition centered around the Nutcracker that involves their young son and daughter. She mentioned practicing at home and performing annually, a ritual that keeps children involved in something creative and festive. That kind of tradition emphasizes practice, preparation, and the joy of putting on a family show for relatives and friends.
Allison Lutnick shared a Hanukkah routine that centers on lighting candles with their children, a practice she continues even as the kids approach adulthood. “They’re approaching thirty now, so we don’t do chocolate dreidels of eight nights of gifts anymore, though,” she said, noting how rituals adapt as children grow. The simplicity of lighting candles together remains the core of their celebration and a steady point of connection.
Lisa Collins, the spouse of the Veteran Affairs Secretary, spoke about collecting ornaments from places the family has visited over thirty-seven years of marriage. She explained that those ornaments are saved on a special tree and dated as reminders of where they’ve been and how far they’ve come. That approach turns holiday décor into a living travelogue and a visual family history.
Jeanette Rubio described her family’s tradition of attending Catholic Midnight Mass together, highlighting the spiritual focus of their celebration. “That’s something that’s very important to us,” she said, framing the observance as a deliberate way to preserve the religious meaning of the season. Her comments underline how faith-based practices can anchor holiday observances across generations.
Kathryn Burgum, wife of the Interior Secretary, mentioned baking a traditional Norwegian flatbread called Lefse at Christmastime, a nod to heritage and culinary ritual. Preparing specific regional foods for the season can turn a kitchen into a space for storytelling and passing down family recipes. These kinds of edible traditions often become sensory touchstones for children and relatives.
Rachel-Campos Duffy described a hands-on outdoor ritual: cutting down their live Christmas tree each year as a family event. She also detailed a quiet Advent practice: lowering the lights, lighting the candle for each week, and singing together. “The other thing is during Advent, every night, we turn down the lights, and we light candles, the candle for each week,” she said. “And we sing ‘O’Come oh Come Emanuel’ together. And the kids, especially when they are little, just love it. It’s a moment where we come together in prayer, and it’s so special. And it’s just again another reminder…which is Christmas is about Jesus’ birth.”
Taken together, these accounts show how rituals vary but often share the same purpose: creating a reliable space for family connection during a busy season. Some homes celebrate with music and performance, others with food or faith-based observance, and many keep small, meaningful customs that evolve over time. The variety on display reinforces how holidays can be customized to fit personality, belief, and family size while still producing moments people remember year after year.
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