Kristin Chenoweth.Photo:Morgan Lieberman/Getty
Morgan Lieberman/Getty
Kristin Chenowethis in holiday mode as soon as the slightest chill crisps the air.
The ‘Wicked’ alum, 55, spoke to PEOPLE about her holiday plans while promoting her new role as Command’s “Partner-in-Cheer.” And for Chenoweth, the Christmas spirit runs deep, particularly when it comes to decorating. One of her most prized pieces of decor is a ceramic Christmas tree that has graced her family’s Oklahoma home since 1975.
“It’s the way [my mother] packs it to the nth degree,” the actress says of the ceramic tree’s resilience with a laugh. “That thing can go to space and not break. I kid you not.”
One of the Tony Award winner’s traditions that she “loves the most" involves her family lighting a candle and saying what they’re each most grateful for.
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“Every year, my dad, who’s not a crier, tears up and pretends he is not, but he does,” Chenoweth says. “I look forward to it every year, and as I’ve gotten older, I’m like, ‘I’m going to keep that tradition.’”
This year will be even more special for theHolidateactress. It’s her first Christmasas a newlywed with her husbandJosh Bryant.
“I think now we are concentrating on just being with the ones that love us and that we love so much since we’re usually working,” Chenoweth says. “He’s from Arkansas and I’m from Oklahoma, so our traditions are pretty close. I’m sure there will be decor and lots of food involved.”
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The Emmy Award winnerenjoyed a dreamy wedding with Bryant, 41, over Labor Day weekend in Dallas earlier this year.
“I was never going to get married,” Chenowethtold PEOPLE in September. “I even got engaged before and couldn’t do it. Until I met Josh. Then I was like, ‘Why would I ever let this guy go?’ I’m so blessed.”
The pair are more than “excited” to begin decorating their home together, especially after personally receiving “a bunch ofChristopher Radkoornaments” for their tree, Chenoweth said.
“Josh was like, ‘Even though we got to go and work and go in and out of town, let’s do the tree. Let’s set up a Christmas village. Let’s have an advent calendar,’” she recalls.
Her partnership with Command will make this even easier, she adds.
“Command products are a big part of that,” she says of her favorite decorating tools. “We like to hang lights, and I’ve used all the Command strips and hooks since I was in college. They make things a lot easier at a time when you want to focus on family and remember the things that are really important.”
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To that end, Chenoweth emphasizes that “decorating should not be stressful.” That’s why she decided to collaborate with the brand to launch a nationwide holiday decor sweepstakes for decorating enthusiasts.
The"Happiness is…Christmas!" singer knows the kind of “merrymaker” she would nominate — her mother, who Chenoweth says is “the center” of her family around the holidays.
“She brings light and joy and reminds us to be grateful,” she explains.
As for what she’s most grateful for this year, Chenoweth says she’s counting her blessings.
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“Health,” she says without hesitation. “I’m here, Josh is here, we’re alive, we’re in overall good health and as we all know, haven’t suffered in any sort of pain or injury or sickness or disease. How great it is, to be able to say that?” she says.
source: people.com
