Not everyone in Hollywood decks the halls when December rolls around. From deeply held religious beliefs to personal feelings about the season, many famous faces skip Christmas entirely.
Some follow Jewish or Jehovah’s Witness traditions, while others simply can’t stand the holiday hustle. Their reasons are as different as the stars themselves, and their stories might just surprise you.
1. Natalie Portman
Natalie Portman grew up in a Jewish household, and her faith plays a big role in how she spends the holiday season. Rather than trimming a Christmas tree, she observes Jewish traditions like Hanukkah.
But there’s another layer to her choice — she also identifies strongly with science and reason.
She has spoken openly about approaching life through a logical lens, which shapes her view of religious holidays. For Portman, skipping Christmas isn’t a sacrifice; it’s simply who she is.
2. Serena Williams
Growing up as a Jehovah’s Witness meant that Serena Williams had a very different kind of December than most kids. Jehovah’s Witnesses do not celebrate Christmas or holidays they consider to have pagan roots, and Serena followed those beliefs throughout her childhood and into her adult life.
Even as she became one of the most celebrated athletes on the planet, the holiday season stayed quiet for her. Her faith shaped her world in powerful, personal ways beyond just the tennis court.
3. Barbra Streisand
Barbra Streisand is one of the most iconic entertainers in history, but you won’t find her hanging stockings by the fireplace. As a proudly Jewish woman, she celebrates Hanukkah rather than Christmas.
Her Jewish identity has always been central to who she is — both personally and professionally.
Streisand has never shied away from speaking about her heritage. For her, the Festival of Lights holds far more meaning than any Christmas morning ever could.
4. Adam Sandler
If you know one thing about Adam Sandler and the holidays, it’s probably his famous “Hanukkah Song” — a hilarious celebration of Jewish celebrities that became a pop culture classic. Sandler is Jewish and has always embraced that identity with humor and heart, making Hanukkah the holiday of choice in his home.
Christmas simply isn’t part of his tradition. Instead, he lights the menorah, spins the dreidel, and reminds the world that the Festival of Lights deserves its own spotlight.
5. Drake
Drake was born to a Jewish Canadian mother of Ashkenazi heritage, which means Hanukkah — not Christmas — is the holiday on his calendar. The Grammy-winning rapper has referenced his Jewish roots in his music and interviews, showing that his identity goes much deeper than just beats and bars.
While the rest of the world is unwrapping gifts on December 25th, Drake is honoring a different tradition. His cultural background keeps him rooted in something uniquely his own.
6. Colin Firth
Colin Firth has never hidden his feelings about Christmas — and those feelings are not exactly warm and fuzzy. The beloved British actor has described himself as feeling like “Scrooge” during the holiday season, admitting to a “profound loathing” for everything Christmas brings with it.
Crowds, forced cheer, and commercial pressure? No thank you.
It’s a surprisingly candid confession from a man known for playing charming roles. Firth’s Christmas spirit, it seems, is permanently on vacation.
7. Andrew Garfield
Andrew Garfield — best known for swinging through New York City as Spider-Man — keeps the holiday season rooted in his Jewish faith. He observes Jewish holidays and traditions rather than Christmas, staying connected to the culture he was raised in.
Garfield has spoken warmly about his identity and what it means to him. For him, December isn’t about reindeer or candy canes; it’s about honoring a heritage that has shaped his values, his worldview, and his sense of self.
8. Lady Gaga
Lady Gaga is known for her fierce performances and larger-than-life personality, but the holiday season brings out a completely different side of her. She once said bluntly, “I hate the holidays.
I’m alone and miserable,” giving fans a raw glimpse into how December really feels for her.
Rather than putting on a festive front, Gaga keeps it honest. The holidays can be lonely for anyone, even global superstars — and she’s never been afraid to say so out loud.
9. Hugh Grant
Hugh Grant takes Christmas avoidance to a whole new level. For years, the charming British actor has made a tradition of escaping the holiday season entirely — sometimes traveling to Muslim-majority countries with his father just to sidestep Christmas celebrations.
No carols, no tinsel, no turkey. Just peace and quiet.
It’s a bold move, but Grant has always marched to his own beat. His annual holiday escape is perhaps the most dedicated anti-Christmas strategy in celebrity history.
10. Mayim Bialik
Mayim Bialik — actress, neuroscientist, and proud Jewish woman — has a holiday season that looks very different from a typical Christmas morning. She celebrates Hanukkah with warmth and enthusiasm, embracing the Festival of Lights as a meaningful family tradition.
Christmas decorations and gift exchanges simply aren’t part of her world.
Bialik has often spoken about balancing her faith with her public life. For her, Hanukkah isn’t a consolation prize — it’s a cherished celebration full of light, love, and latkes.
11. Rashida Jones
Rashida Jones was raised in Reform Judaism, which means the Christmas tree was never the centerpiece of her December. The daughter of music legend Quincy Jones, she grew up in a household that blended culture, creativity, and Jewish tradition in a very unique way.
While she’s appeared in plenty of holiday-themed projects on screen, her personal life tells a different story. Rashida’s December celebrations lean toward Hanukkah, keeping her tied to the faith she was raised in.
12. Seth Rogen
Seth Rogen has built a career on making people laugh, but one thing he doesn’t joke about is skipping Christmas. Born into a Jewish family in Vancouver, Canada, Rogen doesn’t observe December 25th as a holiday.
Hanukkah is the celebration that fits his background and identity.
He’s been refreshingly open about his Jewish heritage throughout his career, often weaving it into his comedy. For Rogen, the holiday season is fine — just not the Christmas version of it.
13. Prince
Before becoming one of the greatest musicians of all time, Prince was already a complex and deeply spiritual person. In 2001, he converted to the Jehovah’s Witness faith — a decision that changed how he lived his life, including how he spent the holidays.
Jehovah’s Witnesses do not celebrate Christmas, and Prince honored that fully.
It was a quiet but meaningful shift. The man who once threw legendary parties chose a path of faith that kept December 25th just another ordinary day.
14. Jake Gyllenhaal
Jake Gyllenhaal comes from a Jewish family, and that heritage means Christmas isn’t on his holiday roster. The acclaimed actor — known for intense roles in films like “Nightcrawler” and “Brokeback Mountain” — keeps his December rooted in Jewish tradition rather than Christmas festivities.
Gyllenhaal has always carried a thoughtful, introspective quality in his work, and that same depth shows up in how he connects with his cultural roots. His holidays are shaped by identity, not the mainstream calendar.
15. Marilyn Manson
Marilyn Manson has never been one to follow the crowd, and Christmas is no exception. The shock-rock icon has openly declared, “I hate Christmas,” and reportedly spends every holiday season without a Christmas tree in sight.
For a man who built a career on defying expectations, skipping Christmas feels completely on-brand.
His rejection of the holiday isn’t rooted in faith — it’s pure personal preference. Manson simply wants nothing to do with the tinsel, the carols, or the cheerful holiday noise.
16. Marion Cotillard
Marion Cotillard — the Oscar-winning French actress — has said she is simply “not a Christmas person,” and has felt that way since she was a little girl. She even recalls fighting with her mother as a child because she didn’t want to receive presents.
That’s a pretty strong anti-Christmas stance from a very young age.
For Cotillard, the holiday never clicked the way it does for others. Her feelings haven’t changed with fame — December 25th remains just another day on her calendar.