These Celebrities Took the Best Christmas Photos

This article appeared in Noteabley and has been published here with permission.

Millie Bobby Brown

It doesn’t really matter if you say Happy Holidays or Merry Christmas, keep reading to see what famous celebs from Drake to Drew Barrymore do around this time of year! Starting in the fall, rich and poor, young and old, gear up for the string of holidays that come once a year, whether you are ready or not. You might be surprised about what Idris Elba does with his big pockets. Here’s a hint: it is all about giving back! Many other guys, like Justin Timberlake and Ryan Reynolds, have small children this year, so you know ugly Christmas sweaters and terrible cookie baking is in the works. For many of us, like Ariana Grande, it is all about being close to their loved ones. Check out 25 of your favorite celebrities enjoying Christmas!

Millie Bobby Brown

Who doesn’t love a good Christmas photo shoot? Even celebrities like to get in on the fun!

Pinterest // @milliebobbyybrownn

She might freak some people out in her role as Eleven on the show Stranger Things, but Millie’s Instagram account reveals that she is just like every other teen. Even though she has photos of magazine shoots, she shows that she is still a kid and loves her family very much. She and her sister, who she calls #bae, even got matching Christmas pajamas!

Shakira

Shakira is known for her hips that “don’t lie,” but she also loves spending quality time with her family.

Pinterest // @dailymail

It’s nice to know that this hard-working singer and her soccer-playing partner Gerard Piqué make time to enjoy the little things with their kids, like taking them to a Christmas day Nicks basketball game or baking gingerbread man cookies for the first time ever! Shakira has admitted that, after having her second child, she is considering retiring to spend more time with them, as motherhood was always her dream.

Emilia Clarke

Emilia Clarke, known to most for her role as Daenerys Targaryen in Game of Thrones, is more than just a leader on television.

Pinterest // @lorenzolossi

Clarke frequently participates in online political activism and philanthropic efforts. One issue that is near and dear to her heart is making sure nurses are provided with proper pay and recognition. Last Christmas, she chose to honor nurses working in the United Kingdom’s National Health Care Service, and in 2018, she became the ambassador for the Royal College of Nursing.

Justin Timberlake

Justin Timberlake has no shame about eating the Christmas cookies his kid leaves out for Santa, as evidenced by this post from last year, where he wore a sweater featuring an image of Santa that said:

Pinterest // @jennawinters

“Ask Your Mom If I’m Real.” Timberlake and Biel have one son, Silas, but have said they are both considering having another child sometime soon. Maybe this Christmas, one of Silas’ presents will be a card saying that he is going to be a big brother!

Drake

Did you know that the singer and rapper Drake is Jewish? The Canadian native went to Hebrew school and was raised by a mother who made sure she instilled Jewish values into his upbringing.

Instagram // @drakespicture

Drake is also known for doing incredibly generous things like donating a recording studio to a high school in Philadelphia and giving money to a widow with five children. Drake has also been known to give out some presents to those of his friends who celebrate Christmas, including limited edition sneakers and $10,000. Sometimes being friends with someone pays, literally.

Ariana Grande

Ariana Grande love Christmas so much, she even has an EP called Christmas & Chill.  In 2013, she made all Christmas enthusiasts jealous when she and Santa flipped the switch to light up the Empire State building for the holiday.

Pinterest // @dana_0706

Last year, she took a bit more of an R&R approach to the holiday and celebrated with a ski trip. However, everyone knows how important her family is to her, and you can imagine that she will be spending this Christmas with her Nonna, mama, and brother in sunny Florida this year.

Idris Elba

Did you know that Idris Elba, known for his dashing good looks and roles in television shows like the British police drama Luther and the American movie The Dark Tower, once stared in a Christmas movie?

Pinterest // @tboogie71

Well, he did. Although the film wasn’t very highly rated, one might imagine that his children Isan and Winston might enjoy seeing it as part of a family tradition. They might also enjoy joining their father on some of his charitable missions, especially when he dresses up as Santa and visits children at Newham and Whipps Cross Hospital.

Dwayne Johnson

Ever wonder why The Rock can play such a great father on-screen? It should come as no surprise that he is a father in real life, as well.

Pinterest // @pagesix

Johnson is quite proud of his eldest, Simone, who he posed with for this adorable photo in front of their tree. He still has a healthy relationship with his ex, Dany Garcia, who in addition to being Simone’s mom is The Rock’s manager and producing partner. This year the wrestler turned actor will have his two youngest girls by his side, too.

Cristiano Ronaldo

Cristiano Ronaldo, who plays as a forward for Italian club Juventus and the Portugal national team, took some time off the field to spend Christmas with his family.

Pinterest // @Sidomex

You can tell that for this famous Portuguese footballer that family comes first. Cristanio has four children, the last who was born just six weeks before Christmas in 2017! I bet he will be even happier to celebrate baby Alana’s second Christmas when she will be able to enjoy some of grandma’s cooking!

Drew Barrymore

Drew Barrymore loves celebrating Christmas. The bubbly actress is so dedicated to giving her girls positive holiday memories that she reunited with their father for the holiday last year so they could celebrate together.

Pinterest // @todayshow

One can only imagine how loved these little girls, Olive and Frankie, feel. There’s nothing quite as nice as not only being able to get to spend the night before Christmas sleeping next to their mom, but also having dad there in the morning to open presents with them.

Ryan Reynolds & Blake Lively

Reynolds is just as sappy as the superhero he plays onscreen, but his off-screen good looks make up for his lack of skills in the baking department, as his wife, actress Blake Lively, claimed when she posted photos of the burnt and poorly-frosted holiday cookies Reynolds made.

Instagram // @ryanreynolds

Reynolds and Lively celebrated the birth of their daughter in 2016. We wonder if the Reynolds/Lively Christmas tree looks a little nicer than their cookies. Even though Ryan and his dad had a strained relationship, family holiday traditions are clearly essential to him and Blake.

Chris Hemsworth

Emilia Clarke wasn’t the only celeb concerned with health care workers over the holidays. Last year, Chris Hemsworth not only gave a shout-out, but rode the waves to raise funds for Cancer Council Australia.

Pinterest // @buzzfeed

Hemsworth even had a Christmas-sweater themed rash guard to wear while surfing the waves. You have to love a man who not only plays a superhero on the big screen but also spends his holidays raising awareness and money for important causes! We also know how much this blonde-haired, blue-eyed actor loves his wife and their twin girls.

Jennifer Lawrence

It seems that Jennifer Lawrence might be making a new annual tradition of watching her 2016 MTV After Hours Special Christmas Sleepover that she filmed with buddy Chris Pratt.

Pinterest // @popsugar

Although there were rumors of a romance between the two, it seems they both just enjoy being goofy together, and what better way to celebrate Christmas than remaking favorite Christmas carols into death metal songs and hitting Santa over the head with a plate of cookies? Lawrence also stopped at a local hospital and donated toys to the children staying there, another one of her annual Christmas traditions.

Anna Kendrick

Last December, Anna Kendrick got to celebrate with Jimmy Kimmel and Darlene Love by singing the song “Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)” with The Roots. Anna referred to the shot of her, Jimmy, and Darlene as her Christmas photo for 2017.

Pinterest // @dailymail

Like many, though, trying to get home for the holidays is important to Kendrick, who grew up in Portland, Maine. One can imagine she might be spending Christmas this year with her boyfriend, Ben Richardson, in front of a fireplace in her parents’ home.

Rashida Jones

Millie Bobby Brown isn’t the only one excited to spend Christmas with her sister! Rashida Jones enjoys spending time with her sisters, including older sister Kidada, pictured with Rashida in this 2017 holiday photo.

Pinterest // @ToryBurch

Rashida and her sister Kidada were raised Jewish by their mother. Few people know, but Rashida had a baby this fall, so this Hanukkah Rashida will likely be celebrating with her and Ezra Koenig’s new tiny little human. We bet they will have a great time!

Alicia Keys

Alicia Keys and her husband, music producer and rapper Swiss Beatz, have two children together and have been married since 2010.

Photo by Fernando Leon on Getty Images

Swiss and Alicia decided to have a bit of fun with an Instagram post last year showing them in front of their fully decorated tree, posed as if Swiss was sitting on Alicia’s shoulders. Alicia and Swiss have known each other since high school, so it seems like they probably have had quite a lot of time to joke together.

Ricky Martin

Some people like to practice a little rest and relaxation over the holidays. Singer Ricky Martin and his painter husband, Ywan Josef, celebrated Christmas in front of a pool in Puerto Rico last year.

Pinterest // @buzzfeed

Although Ricky and his husband live in Beverly Hills, Ricky was born in San Juan, and it’s likely he and his husband were visiting some of Ricky’s family members. Ricky is from a Catholic family and is the youngest of six siblings, with four brothers and a sister.

Neymar Jr.

Cristiano Ronaldo isn’t the only famous football player that likes to take a time out to spend time with his family on Christmas. Neymar Jr. likes to spend Christmas with his mom, dad, and sister Rafaella Beckran.

Pinterest // @kkinga47

Rafaella and Neymar are so close to one another that they have tattoos that honor their love for each other as siblings. Neymar has a tattoo of his sister’s face on his arm, while she has a tattoo of his eyes on her arm. Talk about being close!

Rihanna

Badgalriri, as she’s known on Instagram, rarely slows down. Rihanna has been designing beauty products and clothing, in addition to creating stellar music.

Pinterest // @ph14thebasic

Her Instagram account is full of photos of her modeling, performing, or showcasing her many products. However, everyone knows that Rihanna has a very playful side and there’s no way she would miss the chance to host a good party, so we have to assume that Rihanna does something relaxing but decadent to celebrate time with Santa.

Kelly Clarkson

Kelly Clarkson has been a household name ever since winning the very first season of American Idol, and no matter how much time goes by, it seems she always manages to stay in the spotlight.

Instagram // @kellyclarkson

Back in 2013, she took the awkward family Christmas photo to another level when she took her first family holiday photo with her then-new husband, Brandon Blackstock, and two step-children. Now, Clarkson and Blackstock have two children of their own as well. Maybe we’ll see a full-family version of this awkward photo this year.

Mariah Carey

Mariah Carey surprised a lot of people this year when she bravely announced that she was diagnosed with Bipolar II disorder in 2001 and has struggled to keep the illness a secret.

Pinterest // @dailymail

Bipolar II disorder involves periods of depression as well as hypomania, which can make the stress of the holidays sometimes overwhelming. However, Mariah has credited her friends and family with being able to provide her with love and support, and she really enjoys spending Christmas with them. Here she is celebrating with her family in 2017.

Beyonce

One thing is for sure – Queen B knows how to have a good time. Beyonce is known for creating a special connection with her fans and being an inspiration to many, including her three children.

Pinterest // @jonte876ix

We wonder if she and Jay-Z are going to start a tradition of hosting an annual Christmas talent show with the kids, as it’s clear from old family Christmas photos that Beyonce was raised with holiday family cheer. She showed off her Christmas spirit at Jay-Z’s office party when she wore this Christmas tree getup!

Joseph Gordon-Levitt

Joseph Gordon-Levitt doesn’t celebrate Christmas, at least not ilke most people do. Gordan-Levitt was raised Jewish, but his parents weren’t very strict about following religious practices.

Pinterest // @redbox

Christmas has never really been something Gordon-Levitt has been interested in celebrating in the traditional sense. However, Joseph does love to sing, so if you get him around a piano and ask him to sing a Christmas tune, he’s likely to serenade you. Some even refer to his holiday party crooning as “legendary,” especially when joined by fellow holiday enthusiast Seth Rogen.

Oprah Winfrey

No one can forget when Oprah Winfrey yelled out “You all get free cars!” Oprah is known not only for her years of inspiring interviews and a famous book club, but also her tremendous generosity.

Pinterest // @essence

But what does Oprah do for herself and her family for Christmas? She hosts a dinner party! Oprah spent more than 40 years attending Christmas dinner at her grandmother’s house, and now that her grandma has passed, Oprah hosts her own fabulous Christmas dinners with her long-time partner, Stedman Graham, and close friends like Gayle King. They even got matching Christmas jammies!

Pink

No mom is perfect. Elf on a Shelf creates a ridiculous scramble every evening in December for many a mom who wants to build a fun tradition with her kids.

Pinterest // @popsugar

Singer Pink probably has a daily reminder in her calendar for this December to move that darn elf, considering her #momfail last year. It seems the kids still think Santa is real, though, because one of them wrote a letter about how their elf, Chippy, hadn’t moved in three days and they weren’t sure why! Whoops! Pink showcased her fail by posting the letter on Instagram.