Alan Jackson is the patriarch of a family of five, including his wife Denise and his three daughters Mattie, Ali and Dani. Even though his children are grown, his family still stick to their Christmas traditions.
“Christmas is pretty traditional. We don’t let anybody open any presents until Christmas morning,” says Alan. “We don’t let them get up on their own and take off, you know, everybody has to wait and kind of get situated, and maybe have a cup of coffee, and then we start all of the regular Christmas morning activities, opening presents, taking pictures and video. We have music going, you know, I try to keep Christmas music going in the background. I like to turn that on before I let them come down to the tree and everything.”
Alan released his second holiday album, Let It Go, in 2002.
Audio / Alan Jackson talks about the holiday traditions of the Jackson house.
DownloadAlan Jackson (Christmas traditions) OC: …everything. :30
“Christmas is pretty traditional. We don’t let anybody open any presents until Christmas morning, after Santa Claus comes. We don’t let them get up on their own and take off, you know, everybody has to wait and kind of get situated, and maybe have a cup of coffee, and then we start all of the regular Christmas morning activities, opening presents, taking pictures and video. We have music going, you know, I try to keep Christmas music going in the background. I like to turn that on before I let them come down to the tree and everything.”
Audio / Even with all the celebrating, Alan Jackson doesn’t lose sight of the real meaning of Christmas.
DownloadAlan Jackson (meaning of Christmas) OC: …lovely Christmas. :20
“Always try to remember Jesus’ birthday, and just the whole thing, and have a wonderful, big meal, almost like Thanksgiving four weeks later. We have the same, pretty much – turkey, dressing, all the same kind of things. Sometimes we have family members in Tennessee, and sometimes just us or friends, and we always go home to Georgia prior to that, you know…pretty standard, lovely Christmas.”
Audio / Alan Jackson talks about the Christmas music he likes.
DownloadAJ (Christmas music) OC: …at Christmas. :15
“I love the, you know, when we listen to Christmas songs, we put on the old ones that you grew up with, and the classic recordin’s and…from Gene Autry to Nat King [Cole], and you know, all the guys and Bing Crosby and everybody. But songs that we like to listen to at Christmas.”
