What Dolly Parton Said About Having a ‘Bad’ Christmas
Christmas is one of Dolly Parton’s favorite holidays. She goes out of her way to make it special for her family. Parton was once asked whether she ever had a “bad” Christmas. Here’s how she responded.
How Dolly Parton and Carl Dean celebrate Christmas
Parton says she and her husband, Carl Dean, don’t give each other expensive gifts for Christmas. They like to keep things simple.
“My husband, Carl, and I are pretty easygoing when it comes to gifts,” Parton tells Red magazine. “He’s a carpenter and a mechanic, so I keep an eye on what he’s missing or what he’s worn out and I’ll buy him tools or flashlights. He knows I love to cook, so he’ll buy me things like aprons or oven mitts.”
Parton says when she tells people what she received from her husband for Christmas, people often laugh because the gift is so practical. “People laugh when they ask, ‘What did your husband buy for you?’ thinking I’ll say, ‘A diamond ring!’ He just buys me what he knows I really want. I also write him songs and he writes me sweet poems. A poem inside a card is my favorite kind of gift.”
What Dolly Parton said about having a ‘bad’ Christmas
During an interview with Good Morning Britain, Parton was asked if she ever had a bad Christmas. The interviewer wanted to know if she’s ever received a bad gift or had a Christmas that wasn’t so great. Fortunately, Parton says she can’t think of a time she had a bad Christmas.
“I’ve never had a present I didn’t really like,” says Parton. “Maybe I’ve had one like it, or got two of the same thing, but no, I’ve never had a bad Christmas that I know of. We always try to be together as a family.”
Parton recalled the time she surprised her sister, Rachel, for the holidays. Rachel couldn’t travel, so Parton arranged to meet her instead.
“[My sister Rachel] was gone from home. She was in Los Angeles, and we couldn’t stand the thought of it, so I spent Christmas eve with all of our family,” says Parton in her Good Morning Britain interview. “I got on a plane early on Christmas morning and dressed up like Santa Claus. I got on the plane dressed like Santa. I sang songs with everybody that was on the plane on the way to LA and got off the plane so Rachel could see me as Santa. That was wonderful. I had to go to her because she couldn’t come home.”
Dolly Parton’s Christmas wish
During a 2020 interview with Good Housekeeping, Parton discussed what she desires for Christmas. She said what she wants most are joy and peace.
“I have a couple of sisters and several nieces and nephews who live nearby in Nashville, so I’m hoping I’ll be able to spend Christmas with a limited amount of family,” Parton tells Good Housekeeping. “Of course, we’ll be calling all our friends, Zoomin’ and FaceTimein’ the ones who we won’t get to see. I’m just hoping we’ll find a way to be together safely. All I want for Christmas this year is joy and peace of mind.”
RELATED: Dolly Parton Plays This Christmas Album Every Year
Follow Sheiresa Ngo on Twitter.
