Holiday Entertaining 2012

Demi Lovato: Christmas Is Family Day!

By Paul Chi

11/20/2009 at 05:00 PM EST

Demi Lovato

Andrew H. Walker/Getty

It's a scene right out of a storybook: On the night before Christmas, Demi Lovato and her little sister Madison De La Garza cozy up next to the fireplace, roasting marshmallows with the whole family in anticipation for the big day.

"We will all watch Christmas movies all through the night until we fall asleep,” says Lovato. “Then we all wake up early, it’s like 7 in the morning or something crazy like that.”

Soon, shouts of joy can be heard all through the house. "We are all freaking out! I think I’m the one who is freaking out more than Madison that it’s Christmas,” says Lovato of her 7-year-old sister, who plays Gaby and Carlos's daughter Juanita on Desperate Housewives. "I’m like, 'Oh my gosh, it’s Christmas!'"

Once the commotion dies down – and the presents have been opened – the family sits down to a big hearty French toast breakfast while watching the Christmas Day parade. “It’s so awesome that we can eat a big traditional breakfast together,” says Lovato.

But the ritual Lovato enjoys the most this time of year is her family's visit to her grandparents' house.

"We always go to our grandparents' house and that’s the one family tradition I really cherish because I don’t get to see my grandparents that often."

"Christmas is great because it’s a great family day," says the singer-actress. "It’s the part of the year where everybody comes together that I haven’t seen in a long time and we spend the day catching up with each other."