Stars share their Christmas thoughts and plans

Sandra Bullock

(Conclusion)

LOS ANGELES—A joyous Christmas to you, dear readers! We wrap up our column series on the stars and their holiday plans and thoughts, and their connection with “Silent Night,” which turns 200 this year.

SANDRA BULLOCK

I don’t sing. No one wants to hear me sing (laughs). In Germany (where she was raised), we played “Silent Night” on a recorder that we had to learn in school. I have all the tapes and CDs that my mom (who was an opera singer) kept, including a choir singing all the German Christmas songs.

On Dec. 24, we play “Silent Night” with our dinner of pot roast and asparagus. “Silent Night” is on every single one of the CDs, so it’s on all the time. But I certainly don’t sing it. My mom sang a lot, but I don’t remember when she first sang “Silent Night.”

Channing Tatum—PHOTOS BY RUBEN V. NREPALES

CHANNING TATUM

On Christmas, I hope that I am somewhere snowy, by a fire and playing in the snow (laughs).

For Christmas, I want some camping gear. I am about to get a van—one of those Sprinter Vans. I love an RV, but an RV can’t get to where I like to go. Where I like to go is very far away from paved roads, and you can’t really get there without 4x4s.

Julia Roberts

JULIA ROBERTS

Christmas is pretty close for knitting up a bunch of stuff right now. I don’t just knit for my family. I knit for my friends, as well, let us be clear (laughs).

The great thing about traditions at Christmas is they become that safe guarantee of what we all look forward to.

Even as the kids get older, and they might want to be with their friends, if you’re lucky, they want to bring their friends home… So you don’t lose them for a year or two to skiing someplace else.

Peter (Hedges, director) did an incredibly clever thing in having the 24 hours that “Ben Is Back” takes place from Christmas Eve to Christmas morning because it does create this idyllic idea of the angel’s chorus, the Christmas lights and everything that’s shiny, perfect about the world at that time. Then, open the door to see what’s really inside the house.

Lady Gaga

LADY GAGA

A Christmas tree decorated by me? Usually, I decorate my Christmas trees to feel like whatever albums I am making.

So, this year, the tree will look something like the soundtrack to “A Star Is Born” (laughs).

I love to cook. We have a big feast on Christmas. I love to decorate the house with trees and with pine. It’s a celebration, something that is very important to me and my family.

Sometimes, friends come to me at Christmas. But I consider my friends to be my family, too. So we sometimes have just us, the nucleus of the family and sometimes we have many.

I like themed occasions, so I do like to dress up and make it festive for everyone. And we will have turkey or ham, maybe some manicotti, macaroni—it depends on the year and how we’re feeling.

One time, my family and I went to an orphanage for Christmas and had it that way. So we celebrate in different ways.

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