Ugly sweaters, chicken soup, treasure hunts: Lawmakers share their favorite Christmas traditions

"Jacquie and I are excited to have the whole crew under one roof for an ice cold Minnesota Christmas, complete with four grandkids who're getting a crash course in the joy (and noise!) of an Emmer family holiday," House Majority Whip Tom Emmer, R-Minn., told Fox News Digital. "The Christmas Village is all set up, and ugly sweaters are a must."

"Senator Rounds' late wife Jean was also very talented at making cross stitch and needlework art, and Senator Rounds and his children decorate the whole house with all of her handmade Christmas art," his office said.

Rep. Claudia Tenney, R-N.Y., recalled a Christmas scavenger hunt that her parents orchestrated.

"My parents always set up a treasure hunt on Christmas Eve. My four siblings and I had to de-code a series of clues that led us to various parts of the house to find the next clue, that eventually led us to the final clue, which was where the presents we opened were found," Tenney said. 

She said locations included "the trunk of the car, the dryer, or a storage closet."

"It was really fun, and my parents made the clues more and more clever and challenging each year," Tenney said. "Then we went to our neighbor's across the street for their annual Christmas Eve party. The entire neighborhood was invited. Afterward, many of us, including our Jewish neighbors, went to midnight mass at the Presbyterian Church."

Sen. Cynthia Lummis, R-Wyo., meanwhile, said her favorite Christmas tradition was skiing with her grandchildren in Star Valley in western Wyoming.

And for Sen. Eric Schmitt, R-Mo., Christmas means family dinners and board games.

"We go to Christmas Eve Mass at the parish I grew up in and go to dinner at my parents' house," Schmitt told Fox News Digital. "Larger family gets together after Christmas for [an] epic game of RISK."