Virgin River star Alexandra Breckenridge is bringing a piece of her own childhood into the holidays with her two kids — Jack, 7, and Billie, 9 — and it’s a tradition that still makes her smile.
“My mom always let me open one gift on Christmas Eve,” the actress tells PEOPLE. “I’ve carried that over with my kids. Of course, I used to talk my mom into letting me open all the presents… and now my kids try the same thing.” She laughs, adding that she and her husband Casey Hooper select which gifts get the Christmas Eve honor.
This year, the little ones are in for an even bigger surprise: a family trip to Disney. The rest of their gifts, Breckenridge says, will be “from Santa and their grandparents.”
The season is extra special for another reason — Breckenridge stars in Netflix’s new holiday movie My Secret Santa, where she plays a single mom who disguises herself as a bearded Santa to snag a much-needed resort job. Her kids were adorably confused at first. “They were like, ‘You’re not Mrs. Claus?’” she recalls. “But now my son thinks it’s hilarious, and my daughter’s come around.”
For Breckenridge, Christmas movies are a chance to create joy for her family. “Making holiday magic for my kids brings me the most happiness,” she says. And if the opportunity comes to don Santa’s suit again? She’s all in.
