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The end of December, for many people, is a time of family and Christmas joy. It’s no different for people on Capitol Hill, which is currently a ghost town after politicians returned to their various districts to celebrate their favorite holiday traditions.
For some, like Reps. Eric Burlison, R-Mo., and Byron Donalds, R-Mo., that means annual Christmas traditions with loved ones.
“So Christmas Eve is Spanish bean soup and Cuban sandwiches,” Donalds told Fox News Digital. “And on Christmas Day we just hang out, and Christmas night will be some basketball, some football and maybe a fire.”
Burlison described a “special” Christmas scavenger hunt her mother organizes for her grandchildren to find in their stockings.
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The 2025 Capitol Christmas Tree is seen on the West Lawn of the United States Capitol in Washington, DC, on December 7, 2025. (Mandel Ngan/AFP via Getty Images)
“And then we do Christmas bingo for our White Elephant gifts, and it gets pretty competitive,” Burlison smiled. “One of the fun things that happens every year is my brother, whatever house we’re in, he steals something from the house and then throws it in as one of the gifts.”
“You’ll end up opening it and saying, ‘Oh, we have a vase like this. Oh, wait, that’s our vase!’ It’s very fun. “He does it all the time.”
House Majority Leader Steve Scalise, R-La., told Fox News Digital that his favorite Christmas tradition is opening gifts with his children and eating Cajun fried turkey.
House Majority Leader Steve Scalise during a press conference at the US Capitol in Washington, DC, Wednesday, November 5, 2025. (Daniel Heuer/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
Rep. Henry Cuellar, D-Texas, said he always keeps his faith close at Christmas.
“The holidays always begin by attending Christmas Mass and thanking God for the miracle of the birth of Christ,” Cuéllar told Fox News Digital. “From there, it’s about being home with family: gathering around the table, sharing home-cooked meals, and maintaining the traditions that bring everyone together.”
Meanwhile, Rep. Debbie Dingell, D-Mich., likes to share the holidays with her chosen family of friends and neighbors.
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Rep. Henry Cuellar, D-Texas, is seen at the U.S. Capitol on Tuesday, June 4, 2024. (Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)
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That includes making and sharing Christmas cookies with those same people, as well as “a Christmas dinner with my college roommates and a Christmas dinner with my poker group.”
And Rep. Josh Gottheimer, D-N.J., said Hanukkah and the rest of the holiday season also focused on loved ones.
“The holidays are a special time for me to celebrate with my family, whether it is lighting the menorah with my children, donating toys at local toy drives or joining our community to light trees and menorahs,” Gottheimer said.