The holidays don't always look the same for Gabrielle Union's family, but as she exclusively revealed on the Monday, Nov. 23 episode of Daily Pop, there are a few traditions she and her husband Dwyane Wade look forward to every year.
"The only thing that has been consistent about how me and my husband have celebrated is our lack of consistency," Union joked. "Because both of our lives are so transient."
This is especially true for the recently retired NBA player Wade, she pointed out to E! co-host Carissa Culiner.
"My husband was never in one place. He always played on Christmas. A lot of times he played on Thanksgiving," explained the L.A.'s Finest actress. "So celebrating in different cities—it might be in a hotel room in Philly having a turkey sandwich— as long as we've been together, that's only our real tradition."
Well, sort-of. There's ham and plenty of singing too, added Union, who welcomed her and Wade's first child together, a baby girl named Kaavia James, back in 2018. She's also a stepmother to Wade's other children Zaire, 18, Zaya, 13, Xavier, 6 and his nephew Dahveon, 19.
"We're gonna keep some of the things we've always done, like a candied ham," the former America's Got Talent judge shared. "Since I was a kid, there has been a candied ham. Even when there wasn't a turkey, there was a ham."
Wade, however, sticks to eating a plant-based diet—or as Union put it, "More ham for me!"
At least the whole family can participate in this tradition: show tune sing-offs.
"We always sing the Original Broadway Cast Album of Dreamgirls every year," Union said before belting out a few lines of "And I Am Telling You I'm Not Going," which is apparently the song each family member "usually battles for."
This year sounds like it's going to be even more fun than usual, as Union revealed that her husband requested they add in some songs from the hit Broadway musical Hamilton.
Of course, Union is also finding time to give back this holiday season.
"Follow me on social media all season long to see how Amazon and I will be surprising some incredible, deserving charities this holiday with much-needed donations," Union told Daily Pop viewers. "We go big around the holidays, but this year with the pandemic it's like, how do we go big but, you know, still keep people safe?"
"So this partnership with Amazon and delivering smiles, we're able to go big," Union added, noting that the partnership encompasses over 1,000 charities worldwide. "Two of the organizations that are near and dear to my heart—Deborah's Place out of Chicago where my husband is from and then the Women's Center for Advancement in Omaha, which is where I'm from."
According to Union, both organizations "center [on] the needs of women."
Learn more by watching the complete Daily Pop interview in the above clip.