For the eighth year in a row, Meghan Markle and Prince Harry will not be spending the holidays at Sandringham with the rest of the royal family.

The couple last attended the annual yuletide festivities at the royals’ Norfolk country home back in 2018.

Perhaps not coincidentally, that was also the year in which Harry and Meghan tied the knot.

Multiple outlets have confirmed that the Duke and Duchess of Sussex did not receive invitations to this year’s festivities.

But that doesn’t mean that they’ll be sulking at home and pining for the life they left behind in the UK. In fact, it sounds like these two are festively putting the “Santa” back in Santa Barbara!

Meghan Markle and Prince Harry Know How to Keep Things Merry and Bright

“I love the holidays,” Meghan recently told Marie Claire. “Every year it gets better. Every single holiday is a new adventure.”

According to a new report from In Style, Harry and Meghan prefer to keep their celebrations “low-key.”

That aligns with what we’ve previously heard about the couple’s life in Montecito.

In fact, in contrast to many high-profile public figures who reside in quiet neighborhoods, Harry and Meghan have been criticized for keeping to themselves too much.

(Of course, that gripe comes from neighbors who would almost certainly have the opposite complaint if the Sussexes attracted a swarm of paparazzi to every block party.)

So yeah, we’re not surprised that in sharp contrast to the royals, Harry and Meghan will not be inviting 45 guests to their home on Christmas Day.

But they are keeping certain Windsor family traditions alive.

Keeping the Tradition Alive

In his 2022 memoir, Spare, Harry revealed that he and his wife and kids open all their presents on Christmas Eve, as is customary in Germany. (Harry’s grandfather was of German descent.)

“It was Christmas Eve. We FaceTimed with several friends, including a few in Britain. We watched Archie running around the tree,” Harry wrote.

“And we opened presents. Keeping to the Windsor family tradition.”

Spending Time With the American Side of the Family

Harry and Meghan might be estranged from his family, but that doesn’t mean they’ll be spending the holidays alone.

In fact, insiders say the couple relishes the chance to spend some uninterrupted quality time with their two kids, and with Meghan’s mom, Doria Ragland.

“At first, I think as a mom with children, you’re just enjoying having them there, but they’re not understanding everything that’s happening yet,” Meghan told Marie Claire. “But now we’re at the age where I just can’t wait to see it through their lens every year.”

“Estranged as Harry and Meghan are from so many members of their respective families, Christmas must be more about friends than family,” a royal expert recently told OK magazine. “But Doria is a constant in their lives, and Meghan spoke recently about how she loved having her mum nearby.”

Yes, it might be a while before Harry and Meghan spend another holiday season in the UK. But it sounds like they’ve got everything they need for a very merry Christmas!