Just in time for the holidays, country music queen Reba McEntire shares endearing personal stories, entertaining ideas, and family recipes in her brand-new book, Not That Fancy: Simple Lessons on Living, Loving, Eating, and Dusting Off Your Boots (Harper Celebrate, 2023). You’ll find lighthearted lifestyle tips—like how to achieve Reba’s signature hairstyle—and learn how to make some of the superstar’s go-to party treats. Enjoy this exclusive excerpt and recipe from Not That Fancy, available from booksellers nationwide.
“Christmas Traditions” by Reba McEntire
Taken from Not That Fancy: Simple Lessons on Living, Loving, Eating, and Dusting Off Your Boots by Reba McEntire. Copyright © 2023 by Reba McEntire. Used by permission of Harper Celebrate.
When I was a kid, Pake, Alice, Susie, and I would wake up and run down the hall in our pajamas (or in Pake’s case, his underwear) as soon as we woke up on Christmas morning to open our presents. It was pure chaos as we all ripped open our gifts at once. There was no taking turns or pausing to admire things. We were like wild animals! And every year, Mama would make banana pudding to leave out for Santa Claus. That just so happened to be Daddy’s favorite dessert too!
When [my son] Shelby and [granddaughter] Chelsea were younger, our traditions included decorating Christmas trees as a family, setting cookies out for Santa, and then getting up early to open presents. We loved watching Christmas Vacation every Christmas Eve, opening presents, and eating a special Christmas dinner with the family. Then we’d head out for a ski vacation the day after Christmas.
Times have changed, and so have our traditions. Sometimes I get to see Shelby on Christmas and sometimes I don’t. When I do see Shelby and [his wife] Marissa, at Christmas, we still love our holiday movies. But we’ve branched out from just Christmas Vacation to Elf and Nacho Libre. It doesn’t matter if they’re Christmas movies as long as we’re together and they make us laugh.
Traditions are only worth keeping if they’re fun and they make you happy. If a tradition doesn’t do that anymore, it’s time to pitch it and replace it with something that does. That goes for every holiday, not just Christmas.
There’s no wrong way to celebrate, and the right way is whatever makes you feel good. How about loading up on popcorn and candy and watching the silliest, funniest movies you can find? Make tacos, queso, and margaritas instead of turkey, mashed potatoes, and eggnog. Have a board game tournament instead of exchanging gifts, or go on vacation if you usually stay home.
My only real holiday tradition is remembering the reason for the season. It’s Jesus’ birthday. How different things would be without Jesus in my life! I don’t even want to think about it! Other than that, I do what seems fun and will make me happy, even if it means doing something totally different every year. It turns out that there is a lot of joy in letting go of expectations and just going with the flow.
Marissa Blackstock’s Banana Pudding Recipe from Reba McEntire’s Latest Book, Not That Fancy
Paying tribute to her dad’s favorite Christmastime dessert, Reba shares the recipe for her daughter-in-law’s delicious rendition of this Southern staple.
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