The Holiday Season Starts Early in My House, Says Tori Spelling

Albert Michael/Startraks

The holiday season in the Spelling-McDermott household begins shortly after Thanksgiving, according to Tori Spelling. In order to get herself — along with her husband Dean McDermott and their two kids Liam Aaron, 21 months, and Stella Doreen, 6 months — in the mood, Tori admits that the family often partakes in singing Christmas carols together from her childhood, including her favorite, Rudolph the Rednose Reindeer. ”When I was young and in school, we learned all the hand motions and funny sayings to do with the song,” shares Tori, who goes on to blog that she will eventually be teaching “that to Liam and Stella, and we will all sing together.”

Although Liam and Stella may still be a bit young to join Tori and Dean in singing the classics, they certainly enjoyed the toys they found under the tree on Christmas morning! Revealing her shopping lists for her two children, Tori shares that, while Stella would get an ”age-appropriate floor activity gym and a bouncer” with a few “ladybug toys and accessories,” Liam’s presents would be fit for a rockstar. In addition to toys that reflect his love for “cars and dinosaurs (although he calls them horses) and books,” on Christmas Eve Tori shared that Liam would soon be filling the house with his own original music!

“Liam is very musically inclined. He loves to dance and try to make music. He gravitates to the drums. We want to find him a toddler drum set!”

Dean also has son Jack, 10, from a previous marriage.

Source: Tori Spelling

Comments

The holiday season starting right after Thanksgiving has always been the tradition in my family as well. This year, we were actually putting up some of the Christmas decorations on Thanksgiving day!

- CelebBabyLover on December 28th, 2008

Odd. As the Spellings are Jewish.

- kendall on December 28th, 2008

What is so odd? Being Jewish does not mean you cannot celebrate a Christian holiday! My Uncle celebrated Christmas with his wife and he was Jewish.

- gggg on December 28th, 2008

well,I mean no disrespect but I wonder if Tori is Jewish at all. She might have been born a Jew but IMHO being Jewish does mean you do not celebrate Christian holidays.To join friends who celebrate Christmas at parties and reunions is one thing,as you can always be glad for those who are celebrating something so big,but to actually celebrate it yourself?to me at least makes me wonder if the person/family is Jewish at all.

- eva on December 28th, 2008

Eva, contrary to what you think, being Jew does not mean you do not celebrate Christmas. It means lots of other things. Not celebraiting christmas is not the main thing. There is no law Jews cannot celebrate Christmas. In fact, my family is Christian and we celebrate Christmas, Hanukkah and Vasaki and Russian Christmas in January, and that doesnt make us any less Christians. All are beautiful holidays, no matter what religion they come from and the more, the merrier. Lots of half Jewish families celebreate both Christmas and Hanukkah

- Nikka on December 28th, 2008

Thank you Nikka but I do not need anyone to explain to me what a Jew is.Being one all my life I think I am capable of deciding that for myself.I know that celebrating Christmas is not the main thing, but it does say a lot about a person’s preferences and desicions. Yes,some people might celebrate the holiday without the religious aspects of it in mind but the Jewish calendar exists for a reason, for Jews to observe.Guess what?Christmas is not in the Jewish calender,it’s on secular and Christian calendars.As for half Jewish half Christian families, that is what they are,half and half.

- eva on December 28th, 2008

I’ve read Tori’s book and she isn’t a practicing Jew. Regardless, she has a lovely family and Stella looks just like Dean.

- Jenna on December 28th, 2008

I love celebrating Christmas, and I’m not religious in any sort of way. I don’t think it should matter either. Just because you were born and raised with a certain religion, doesn’t mean you actually believe all those things yourself.
I think Tori is setting a great example, if only more people were so open-minded about different religions and their holidays, the world would be a much better place.
Oh and I love that picture of Tori and Stella, very cute!

- Philippa on December 28th, 2008

I also read the book and feel that Tori is so far removed from her family and upbringing that she is happy to be celebrating with her husband who is not Jewish. That being said, if you are a Jew, I feel you have no business celebrating Christmas. Next to Easter it is our main religious holiday…notice the word “Christ” in the word??? Christmas is not all about Santa and reindeer. I have Jewish friends who tell me Hannakah (or however you spell it) isn’t even a big holiday for Jews and that’s it’s just been commercialized because of Christmas.

- Joanne on December 28th, 2008

My in-laws celebrated both. My mother in law is jewish and father in law is an italian catholic so their three children celebrated both Hanukkah and christmas. They taught their kids both traditions and considering dean isn’t jewish, that probably what tori does. In her book she said she is jewish from both her parents, but celebrated christmas a kid.

- Gianna on December 28th, 2008