Jenna Bush Hager is proving that her well-known family is, in some ways, just like every other family when the Christmas holiday rolls around. On Thursday, the TODAY co-host described some of her favorite family Christmas traditions and while one is fairly practical, the other one might surprise you.
The first tradition is one that started with her grandmother, Barbara Bush – who served as First Lady when her husband, George H. W. Bush was voted President. Through the years, Barbara would needlepoint custom stockings for her children and grandchildren, which became a staple of their holiday.
It’s something her first two children – daughters Mila, 9, and Poppy, 7 – were given before Barbara passed away on April 17, 2018. Mila’s stocking has a cat on top, referring to the 9-year-old’s love for cats, while Poppy’s was fit with a poppy flower, for obvious reasons. Every year, they hang by the fireplace.
A little over a year after Barbara passed away, Jenna Bush Hager had her third child and first son named Harold – he was born on August 2, 2019. It was an exciting moment for Jenna and her husband, Henry Chase Hager, but they quickly came to the realization that he wouldn’t have a stocking come Christmas.
That’s when she received a call from her aunt. Apparently, Barbara was one to think ahead and, before she passed away, needlepointed several extra stockings for her great-grandchildren she wouldn’t have the opportunity to meet in-person. And just like that, the Christmas tradition in her family was saved.
“I couldn’t even believe it. She stockpiled a lot for her great-grandchildren. I just imagine her wildly needlepointing. And so even though Hal was born after she passed away, he is always going to have a part of her,” said Jenna, adding that now she has to find a way to needlepoint her son’s name on it.
“They are among our most treasured possessions, and now I need to learn how to needlepoint because I have to put ‘Hal’ on here. Or I’ll need to find someone who can needlepoint — that might be more practical,” added Jenna. For now, the 41-year-old mother of three is just happy her son is included.
Did Jenna Bush Hager Say Mexican Food for Christmas?
One of the biggest talking points of any Christmas party or gathering is the food being served. For many families, ham with roasted potatoes is the de facto choice, but some families like to go against the norm and create their own unique menu for the holiday – and Jenna Bush Hager has one of those families.
Earlier this month, Jenna opened up about one of her family’s biggest traditions on Christmas Eve – Mexican food – Tex-Mex, to be more specific. “So it’s tamales and enchiladas, guacamole, etc.,” she said, adding that she absolutely loves queso and used to eat it all the time with her family when she was a kid.
“The first year that my husband spent Christmas with my family he was like, ‘Wait, where’s the ham?’ He couldn’t believe that that was the way we celebrated. But it’s just such a beautiful tradition. And one that we love to celebrate,” Jenna explained. It’s not the typical Christmas food, but it’s what they enjoy.
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Another tradition she wants to instill in her children is giving back during the holiday season. She previously revealed her plan to do at least one service project every week with her kids throughout the holiday – they work with a food bank that delivers food to homes in need.
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