In a recent interview with Entertainment Tonight, Kunis, who is promoting her upcoming movie, "Bad Moms Christmas," said her upbringing shaped her view and understanding of Christmas.
“I come from communist Russia, where you’re not allowed to be happy, so my holiday traditions are ‘be quiet,’” Kunis said. “Coming to America is when you realize Christmas has a magical quality to it. In Russia, back in the day, it was a very religious holiday, so you don't celebrate Christmas if you’re not Christian and if you’re not at Mass. So, I being Jewish, was like, ‘Christmas is not for you.’”
Kunis, 34, moved to the U.S. from Ukraine in 1991 at the age of 7.
"We come to America and we're like, 'Christmas is so inclusive,'" Kunis told ET. "We literally bought a Christmas tree. So as far as tradition goes, my family's big on any excuse to get the family together and get drunk. Whether it's Easter, which we've now all accepted into our Jewish household, or Christmas, it doesn't matter. It's all family time, but having kids, we're building up our own little versions of tradition."
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Kunis, who shares two children with Kutcher -- 3-year-old Wyatt and 1-year-old Dimitri -- said the couple have a new tradition this year.
"No presents for the kids," she told ET. "We're instituting it this year because when the kids are [around age] 1, it doesn't really matter. Last year when we celebrated Christmas, Wyatt was 2and it was too much. We didn't give her anything -- it was the grandparents. The kid no longer appreciates the one gift. They don't even know what they're expecting; they're just expecting stuff."
Kunis said she and Kutcher have asked their parents to limit the number of gifts they purchase for their grandchildren to one.
“We've told our parents, ‘We’re begging you -- if you have to give her something, pick one gift. Otherwise, we'd like to take a charitable donation to the Children’s Hospital or a pet -- whatever you want.’ That's our new tradition,” she said.
Read more at Entertainment Tonight.
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