Freddie Prinze Jr's Spooky Family Holiday Tradition Revealed
Freddie Prinze Jr delights in a delicious turkey and his flawlessly prepared gravy However, his most cherished family tradition revolves around their spine-tingling annual movie viewing experience
Freddie Prinze Jr. has a number of holiday customs, but one of his favorites is gathering with the kids to watch a movie that always manages to surprise them.
“Gremlins is both a Christmas movie and a horror movie, and it’s a tradition in my household to watch it every Christmas,” Prinze, 47, shared exclusively with We while promoting his collaboration with Libby’s Vegetables earlier this month. “I don’t care what anyone says, we sit and watch Gremlins every single year. It’s one of my favorites.”
The actor, known for his horror movie podcast "That Was Pretty Scary," shares two children, 14-year-old daughter Charlotte and 11-year-old son Rocky, with his wife Sarah Michelle Gellar. (Maybe scary movies aren't as scary when your mom is Buffy the Vampire Slayer.)
When they're not enjoying the 1984 horror-comedy, they're passionate about food. Prinze is recognized for his culinary expertise and even authored the cookbook Back to the Kitchen in 2020.
"For the holiday meal, it'll be the usual turkey and fixings," he mentioned. "But I take special pride in my gravy. It took me until I was 40 to perfect it - the right consistency, flavor, and most importantly, enough for seconds, thirds, and fourths. That was the key. In my 20s and 30s, we always ran out, and that put a damper on the festivities. It's not a good night if we run out of gravy in my house. So now it's all about making sure there's plenty to go around."
During the holidays, the Christmas with You actor never knows how many people will show up for Thanksgiving or Christmas dinner - Prinze jokingly refers to his home as "the stragglers house" during these times.
Freddie Prinze Jr. Axelle/Bauer-Griffin/FilmMagic
"We have always been there for anyone who couldn't or didn't want to go home during the holiday season," Prinze shared with Us. "We always made sure to have enough food prepared, whether it was for 22 people or just the four of us. It's been about five years since we've had a big gathering, and I really miss those. It has been a tradition of ours."
Prinze believes that whether it's a large gathering or a small dinner, having meaningful conversations with his kids about family stories is always crucial.
Prinze speaks fondly of his mother's storytelling about his father, grandfather, and uncle, from whom he received his middle name, James. He now continues the tradition of sharing family stories with his own children while cooking together, creating lasting memories for them to cherish.
Prinze is supporting Meals on Wheels through the "Thanks & Giving" program with the help of Libby's Vegetables, to ensure that those in need have a memorable Thanksgiving dinner. Libby's approached Prinze for easy, healthy and cost-effective side dish recipes using canned vegetables, recognizing that not everyone has access to fresh produce, especially in the winter.
Fans who engage with Prinze’s Sweet Truffle Corn recipe post by liking, commenting, or sharing, and use the hashtag #LibbysGivesThanks until December 31, will trigger a donation of one manufacturer coupon that can be redeemed for a free can of Libby’s to Meals on Wheels America.
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The campaign “meant a lot” to Prinze, who added, “If I can be a part of them getting 500,000 cans of food, then that would be awesome.”
Reporting by Christina Garibaldi
