These Are The Holiday Traditions Julie And Todd Chrisley Cherish - Exclusive

According to Merriam-Webster, the primary definition of the word "tradition" is, "an inherited, established, or customary pattern of thought, action, or behavior (such as a religious practice or a social custom)." When it comes to the holiday season, there are some traditions that most American families share, such as cooking and eating way too much food on Thanksgiving Day, decorating the house for the winter holidays, and exchanging gifts.

While many festive traditions are all but universal, of course every family has their own practices and customs they turn to, both to make the season special and also to reconnect with family history. During a recent exclusive interview with Mashed, we learned that family history is especially important to Julie and Todd Chrisley. Asked about a few favorite Chrisley family traditions, Todd took the lead and said, "I think being together."

"Absolutely!" Julie jumped in. "I think Thanksgiving is one of my favorite holidays, because it's truly about just getting together, having a great meal, and not about gifts. It's about truly enjoying each other's company."

"I prefer gifts, but none of [the family] have [good] taste like I do. So, it really works out better if they just give me cash," Todd jokingly added. Julie was a bit more altruistic in her response regarding presents. "I think for me, I love to give gifts to people, my friends, my family, my loved ones, that they would not buy themselves."

If you spend any time talking to Todd Chrisley, you'll realize he's quick with the jokes and often strays into sarcasm. But, you'll also learn that, beneath the veneer of humor, he and Julie care deeply about looking out for others — which is why one of the most important Chrisley family traditions is about helping.

"All jokes aside," Todd said, "I don't love to receive gifts because I buy what I want for myself regardless. But I do love to give things to people, like Julie said, that they would not buy for themselves or that they would never expect that they're going to have. Those are things that are important to me. I want to [let] the people that I love ... know how much I cherish them."

"And we love to give back," Julie added. For many years, she said, they participated in an activity at a school in Todd's hometown where parents could put notes on a Christmas tree about what they wanted their kids to get for Christmas. "And then we would buy the gifts and the parents [would] come pick them up so that they were giving their gifts that they couldn't maybe afford. ...That is something that we do every year ... to make sure that everyone's getting a Christmas."

Todd also mentioned the family has been participating in an Adopt-A-Family program for years. "I think the great part ... is that our kids do that. And so I think what it's done for us personally is that it's helped our kids to appreciate more of what we do for them. When they see these lists that come in, it's for little boy's underwear, for hair products for a little girl ... I think that has helped our children to know that to whom much is given much is required," Todd concluded. "And through them giving back, it's helped them to receive what we give them in a more appreciative manner."

Check out "Chrisley Knows Best" streaming on Peacock and on USA.