While many people love to spend Christmas at home, others prefer to get away from it all and hit up beaches and ski slopes all around the world. Celebrities are no exception, so here is a round-up of where some familiar faces saw the festive season in this year.
Duke and Duchess of Sussex
While most of the Royal Family spent Christmas in Sandringham with the Queen, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex broke with tradition this year to spend the holiday in Canada with their baby son Archie and Meghan's mum, Doria Ragland. According to the Vancouver Sun, they are staying on Vancouver Island, and have been spotted hiking in Horth Hill Regional Park and jogging in the neighbouring town, North Saanich.
Canada is special to Harry and Meghan as their romance was initially conducted in Toronto while former actress Meghan was filming the legal drama, Suits. There will be plenty for them to see, as Vancouver Island is studded with colourful, quirky communities, many founded on logging or fishing.
Simon Cowell
Every family has Christmas traditions, and music mogul Simon Cowell's tradition is that he spends Christmas in Barbados each year. He is spending this festive season soaking up the Caribbean sun and enjoying jet-ski rides in the Unesco World Heritage-listed capital, Bridgetown, with his partner, Lauren Silverman, and their five-year-old son Eric, as well as Lauren's son Adam (13) and her mother, Carole Davis.
Not forgetting their beloved dogs, of course. In addition to fine powdery sand and brilliant turquoise bays, Barbados has a lively nightlife scene, a beautiful interior dotted with gardens and wild surfing.
Gabrielle Union and Dwayne Wade
Actor Gabrielle Union and former NBA star, Dwayne Wade, rang in the holidays from Hawaii. They have been posting images showing them relaxing with their 13-month-old daughter Kaavia James, Wade’s 12-year-old Zion and Gabrielle's sister, Tracy Union.
They're staying in Maui, which has an invigorating mix of natural beauty and outdoor fun, all shared with warm alohas. Some of the sunsets they're sharing are so gorgeous, they're seriously making us want to pack our bags.
Kate Hudson and Goldie Hawn
Actress Kate Hudson escaped to Aspen for the holidays and was spotted shopping with her mum, Goldie Hawn, who has a home there. While Kate shared an image of her partner, Danny Fujikawa, and their one-year-old daughter Rani, her sons from previous relationships, Ryder (15) and Bingham (8), were also in the picture, along with their two dogs.
Meanwhile, Goldie shared a Christmas lunch photo of her granddaughter Rio, her son Oliver's youngest daughter, proving that it was a real family affair in Aspen, which is one of Colorado's most famous mountain towns. She is also there with her long-term partner, Kurt Russell.
Gwyneth Paltrow and Brad Falchuk
Aspen was a popular destination for celebrities this year, as actress Gywneth Paltrow shared a photo of herself and husband Brad Falchuck there, both dressed in ski gear. Gwyneth was also spotted hitting the slopes with her ex-husband, Coldplay's Chris Martin, who was in town with his actress girlfriend, Dakota Johnson. Perhaps they bumped into singer Mariah Carey, who was also spotted in Aspen with her beau, Bryan Tanaka.
Bella Thorne
Actress Bella Thorne is on a Christmas vacation in Punta Cana with her boyfriend, Benjamin Mascolo. They're staying at the Villa Las Hamacas estate, which comes staffed with a butler, private chef and housekeepers. Bella’s vacation to the Dominican Republic comes after she shot five movies in a row, including Chick Fight, Leave Not One Alive, Southland, Girl and The Babysitter 2 and Exo.
If Bella and Benjamin decide to leave their luxury resort, the resorts and beaches of Punta Cana offer an idyllic Caribbean seascape.
Victoria and David Beckham
The London-based Beckhams are spending Christmas at their holiday home in the English countryside - a luxury barn conversion in the Cotswolds with a pool, tennis court and sauna. Designated an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, the Cotswolds are filled with pretty villages, thatched cottages, evocative churches and honey-coloured mansions.
David and Victoria are accompanied by their children Brooklyn, Romeo, Cruz and Harper, and their guests include Victoria's sister Louise. A special addition this year is their new Cocker Spaniel puppy Sage, who joins the Beckhams' other dogs, Olive and Fig.
Greta Thunberg
2019 was Greta Thunberg's year and the hard-working climate change activist is taking a well-deserved break at home at present. The 16-year-old is spending Christmas in Sweden with her opera singer mum Malena Ernman and actor dad, Svante Thunberg, having spent most of the year travelling by sea, road and rail around the world to further her campaign.
Greta's Instagram posts show her looking very happy to be spending the holiday season in Stockholm with her rescue dogs - Golden Retriever Moses and Labrador Roxy.
Jennifer Lopez and Alex Rodriguez
While Jennifer Lopez and Alex Rodriguez have several homes, they chose to spend Christmas in Miami this year, along with their 11-year-old twins, Emme and Max, and Jennifer's mom, Guadalupe Rodriguez. JLo instagrammed a photo of herself in workout gear on Christmas Eve, joking, "Baby, it’s warm outside." Then the star posted a series of cute images showing the family enjoying Christmas Day together in matching red and black sleepwear onesies.
Taylor Swift and Joe Alwyn
Singer Taylor Swift spent Christmas in her actor boyfriend, Joe Alwyn's, London hometown. Some of her family also flew in from Nashville to spend time with the pair, who have been dating for three years. Taylor and Joe flew there after spending time in New York, where the premiere of Taylor's new movie, Cats, took place, and they also spent Thanksgiving in the English capital in November. While there, locals report that they like to go for walks, visit local pubs and hang out with family.
