Create a free profile to get unlimited access to exclusive show news, updates, and more!
Jenna Bush Hager’s Husband Was Confused by Her Christmas Eve Dinner Tradition
"He was like, ‘Wait, where’s the ham?’" the TODAY co-host shared.
For Jenna Bush Hager, it's always a feliz Navidad. Born and raised in Texas, the TODAY co-host has kept up a regional Christmas Eve tradition that confused her husband, Henry Chase Hager, when they first got together. But to us, it sounds muy delicioso.
RELATED: Kathie Lee Gifford Reacts to Hoda Kotb Leaving TODAY: "Bittersweet"
Why Jenna Bush Hager eats Mexican food on Christmas Eve
“The main tradition that we have over Christmas is Mexican food on Christmas Eve, Tex-Mex. So it's tamales and enchiladas, guacamole..." she revealed in Holidays at My House, a TODAY special about all the anchors' holiday celebrations.
“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," she added. "But it’s just such a beautiful tradition. And one that we love to celebrate."
Why not hot cocoa and a steaming bowl of soup? It might have something to do with the fact that the Bushes were in the desert. “We were always with my mom’s parents, Jenna and Harold Welch. And we were in West Texas, which gets pretty warm…there wasn’t much snow. Although it did snow one year, and we couldn’t believe it," she said during the segment.
Jenna Bush Hager's holiday traditions are all about having fun
For their annual holiday card, the Bush Hager family embraced their goofy side, posing for both a sweet family photo in the backyard and a costumed pic in "olden times" clothes. See both here. "Wishing you hope ever after," they captioned the picture, referencing the fairy tale theme of the sweep snap.
"Hal is a dinosaur or a dragon," the mom of three revealed of her son's outfit, per People. As for why they look, well, less than holly jolly, they're just goofing. "That's our look! We said, 'Pose in a certain way,' and everybody brought out their best faces," she revealed.
RELATED: Halle Bailey, Smokey Robinson, & Jennifer Hudson's "Silent Night" Trio Is a Miracle
Along with Hoda Kotb, Bush Hager even recorded an original song about keeping the holidays positive. In 2023, they debuted "Carefree Christmas."
"It's gonna be a carefree Christmas / Stop and smell the pine / Boughs of holly make us jolly / We're all feelin' fine" they sang, backed by vocal coach Cheryl Porter and the Manhattan School of Music choral ensemble.
"There are certain dreams that are almost too big to dream," Kotb explained at the time. "Dropping a single at Christmas time seems like a huge dream and guess what? We are doing it!"
