How Black celebrities have been spending the holidays

Black celebrities keep things merry, from multiple Grinch sightings to Christmas engagements, matching pajamas, and more.

Mariah Carey, Mariah Carey Christmas collaboration, Mariah Carey Barbie doll, Venus Williams' style, 15 percent pledge, Sephora, House of Aama, Nordstrom, Black fashion, Black style, theGrio.com
Mariah Carey performs onstage with Moroccan Cannon (left) and Monroe Cannon (right) during her "Merry Christmas To All!" concert at Madison Square Garden on Dec. 13, 2022, in New York City. (Photo by Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for MC)

This Christmas, Gabrielle Union was “more lit than the tree.” 

Or so the actress declared in an Instagram post featuring footage of her and her family attending Kim Kardashian’s glamorous, star-studded Christmas Eve party. Union looked elegant in a black satin gown and diamond-encrusted jewelry. She also looked “lit” in the post, which included a video of her dancing, singing, and having herself a merry little time. 

After the bash, Union posted shots of her, her husband, Dwyane Wade, and their daughters Kaavia and Zaya to Instagram, celebrating the holiday at home in coordinated pajamas. 

“This year we asked for the gift of family, and we were more than blessed. Wishing you and yours blessings upon blessings,” she wrote in the caption. 

She’s not the only one having a very merry holiday. From multiple Grinch sightings to buzzy engagements to even buzzier gifts to matching pajamas and sled rides, Black celebrities really got into the holiday spirit this year. 

Both Janelle Monáe and June Ambrose pulled out their best chartreuse and portrayed the Grinch. Another popular character of the season, arguably the most, Santa Claus, paid Ciara Wilson’s children a visit along with Mrs. Claus. The singer and mom of four uploaded a video to Instagram of her young children and husband, Russell Wilson, welcoming the North Pole residents into their home. 

Nick Cannon put the Nick in Saint Nick over at his home as he donned the big red suit and posed for photos with his children in multiple posts. Cannon also wore matching pajamas with his children and their moms in several shots.  

Other festive family moments included Usher in coordinated pajamas with his family, posing for pictures in front of the Christmas tree. The Queen of Christmas herself, Mariah Carey, debuted multiple glamorous red looks, captured footage of her and her children sledding and the kids adorably fleeing from her as she attempted to sing her No. 1 Christmas hit. 

Over at Keke Palmer’s house, the glamorous Christmas and Santa Claus vibes continued. The singer and actress donned her elegant take on Santa in a sparkly red gown with blonde hair and eyebrows alongside her infant son dressed as her “favorite little helper.” 

Love was also in the air this Christmas with Simone Biles and Jonathan Owens. The newlyweds gave an intimate glance into their cozy Christmas morning gift exchange together in matching plaid pajamas. Meanwhile, according to People, Angela Simmons was surprised with three rare Birkins from her boyfriend, rapper Yo Gotti, worth $400,000. 

Tamar Braxton announced her second engagement to JR Robinson over the holiday. Ludacris celebrated his ninth wedding anniversary with his wife, Eudoxie Mbouguiengue. 

John Legend was in New York City with his family, Beyoncé and Jay-Z took a flight, and Brandy was in the kitchen with her daughter, Sy’Rai. 

Black celebrity Christmas celebrations abounded, but perhaps no one was quite as merry as Oprah Winfrey. The legendary TV host and producer introduced a new holiday color this season: purple. On Instagram, she posed with loved ones all dressed in purple and declared her gift to everyone was the “The Color Purple” musical, which hit theaters on Christmas Day.

Recommended Stories

In another post, she later celebrated the success of “The Color Purple” musical, which opened on Christmas Day as No. 1 and has since become the second biggest Christmas Day opening of all time. 

“I’m overwhelmed with gratitude,” she began in the post’s caption. “Thank you so much for everyone that made [“The Color Purple”] a part of their holiday plans. Y’all made it the #1 movie in theatres on Christmas Day! I know how valuable spending time with your loved ones is, so for y’all to buy tickets, dress up in purple, and show up in droves is filling me up.”


Never miss a beat: Get our daily stories straight to your inbox with theGrio’s newsletter

SHARE THIS ARTICLE