The Trump Family's Holiday Traditions Sound Surprisingly Normal

They may cause controversy when it comes to policy decisions and the like, but the Trump family's holidays might not be as over-the-top, divisive, controversial, or surprising as some people might expect. In fact, the Trump family's holiday traditions sound shockingly normal for a family that seems to do many other things big.

As Florida's Sun-Sentinel newspaper reported, President Donald Trump and family leave frosty D.C. each December for their oft-preferred vacation locale, the President's private club, Mar-a-Lago, in Palm Beach. There, instead of tales of angry tweets or political bombshells, by all accounts the Trumps have a regular old Christmas, complete with church services and gifts. Oh, and maybe even a friendly visit from an ex-wife.

At least that's how it reportedly went last year — Trump's first holiday season in office — when Trump and wife Melania were spotted attending Christmas Eve services at Bethesda-by-the-Sea Episcopal, the Palm Beach church where Donald and Melania wed, the paper added.

The couple sat in the third row (not the first) and joined other congregants in singing such standards as "O Come All Ye Faithful," "Hark the Herald Angels Sing," and "The First Noel." Before heading to church, the couple had also found the time to speak to troops and take phone calls from children, the Sun-Sentinel added.

It sounds so completely nice and calm and... not weird, dramatic, or over-the-top, doesn't it? In addition to the immediate family members you'd expect to see at a Trump family holiday gathering (minus Ivanka and Jared, apparently), ex-wife Ivana Trump, (Trump's wife for 14 years and mom to Donald Jr., Eric, and Ivanka, according to Town & Country magazine) also celebrated Christmas with Trump family in 2017, according to the Daily Mail.

Incidentally, Town & Country added that Ivana's on-and-off ex-husband, Rossano Rubicandi, opened a pizza place in West Palm Beach, not far from Mar-a-Lago. Perhaps there will be another addition to the family Christmas this year. After all, he and Ivana were married by Trump's sister and had their reception at Mar-a-Lago, as per CNN.

Also, just to round out this picture, Marie, Ivana's mom, was even invited to the Christmas festivities in 2017, according to the Daily Mail. Yes, Trump's ex-mother-in-law.

Donald Trump Jr.s' social media showed totally-normal activities such as baking cookies, playing sports on the lawn, opening presents, and hanging with grandma. Lest you think the Trumps are totally down-home, though, I wouldn't assume they don't have a chef or staff help over the holidays; the New Orleans Times-Picayune reported that the family's Christmas dinner included no less than five desserts to choose from, including Piña Colada Creme Brûlée.

Eric and Tiffany Trump were also spotted in Palm Beach over Christmas, the Daily Mail added, so it's likely that they participated in the family gathering, but Ivanka and Jared Kushner tend to take a couples' getaway during this period, having hit Hawaii in 2016, for example.

Back in Washington, D.C., the First Lady recently unveiled this year's White House Christmas tree decor, which had the theme of "American Treasures," as Today related. (And contrary to a lot of very clever Twitter jokes about them, the White House's red Christmas trees actually looked pretty classy, I thought.)

And just like any family, when it was all over at last year's Trump Christmas, and Santa had come to town, and all the gift wrap was picked up off the floor and all the food eaten, it was time to go back to work, with the Sun-Sentinel reporting that Trump was expected to return to Washington on Jan. 1.

So if this year's Christmas is similar to last for the Trumps, expect to hear very little between the big day and New Year's from Mar-a-Lago. If only that calm and quiet would find its way back to D.C. along with the family on Air Force One.