Jinger Duggar Reveals Why She Hasn’t Spent Christmas with Her Family in Nearly a Decade

Jinger Duggar has not been to the Duggar home for Christmas in nearly a decade, and she’s opening up about her reason why. 

The former reality star, 32, spoke about her Christmas plans on The Jinger & Jeremy Podcast, which she co-hosts with her husband, Jeremy Vuolo.

“We have not been back to the Duggar house since we’ve been married, in nine years, for Christmas, and we’re going this year,” Jeremy, 38, said at the top of the episode, to which Jinger added, “It’s exciting.”

Jinger went on to explain that they haven’t been back to her family’s house for Christmas Day in nearly a decade because it’s “the only time of year” Jeremy’s family is “all together.”

“Throughout the years, we’ve decided, like, ‘Okay, that’s going to be the time that we spend with the Vuolo family,” she said. 

She noted that the Duggar family, meanwhile, is “always together a lot.”

“It’s easy for us just to pop back,” Jinger said. “We went back one year, three times in one year, for weddings. So you’re like, ‘Oh, we weren’t there for the holidays,’ but we were there for multiple weddings.” 

Jinger, who tied the knot with Jeremy in 2016, explained that they decided to change things up this year to give their daughters, Felicity and Evangeline, a chance to experience a “Duggar family Christmas.” The couple also shares son Finnegan Charles, who was born in March 2025.

“I miss it, so that’s also why,” she added. 

During the podcast episode, the couple discussed what a Duggar Christmas entails. Jeremy asked what Jinger’s Christmas morning typically looked like with her parents, Jim Bob and Michelle Duggar, and her 18 siblings. 

“We’ve done different kinds of things,” Jinger said. “Back when I was at the big house, there were some years where we’d be like, everybody has to wait. We go down together, and then it’s a free-for-all all, and everybody just opens gifts, and it’s chaos.”

However, some years were different. “I feel like it varied, like every other year or something, it was kind of like chaos, and everybody would just open at the same time. And then some other years, I remember us waiting. And each person would open [their presents],” she said.

The Duggar daughter also shared that this year, the family will be participating in a gift exchange. She revealed that she has drawn her sister Jana, while Jeremy said he’s buying for “Mr. Duggar, I’m buying for pops.”

“Give him a nice pair of white T-shirts or socks, or a new package of underwear,” Jinger advised.

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Back in July, the 19 Kids and Counting alum admitted that things have changed at her childhood home. She described a recent trip back home that was “amazing,” but definitely different.

“I love going back to visit and at the same time it’s overwhelming,” Jinger said. “And this is why, because there are a couple siblings who live away now, just a few, and when you live away from family and then you come back then everybody wants to see you. Everybody wants to connect with you. It can be so tough to juggle all of that because when you have so many siblings and their families.”