DUBAI: From Karen Wazen’s mouth watering roast turkey spread to Elisa Sednaoui’s elf costume, our Instagram feeds have been extra festive with stars taking to the photo-sharing platform to celebrate the jolly season.
The holidays are all about giving back to those less fortunate, and Bella Hadid spent her Christmas doing just that. The 25-year-old model posted a photo on her Instagram Story that showed her volunteering at a food bank. In the days leading up to the holiday, the part-Palestinian model participated in various charitable drives in New York that saw her donate fresh, hot meals and bags filled with toys to those who need it most.
Elsewhere, part-Saudi model Shanina Shaik is in Lagos, Nigeria, where she celebrated the holiday with her new beau, US-Nigerian record label owner Matthew Adesuyan.
The former Victoria’s Secret model was first linked to Adesuyan on Valentine’s Day, and the couple have been inseparable ever since, recently celebrating Thanksgiving together in Los Angeles.
“Christmas in Lagos,” she captioned a video of a Christmas light-filled wonderland on Instagram.
Meanwhile, US-Palestinian DJ duo Simi and Haze Khadra had more than just one occasion to celebrate on the 25th, as it was also their youngest sibling Gigi Khadra’s 14th birthday. The identical twins took to their shared Instagram account to wish their little sister a happy birthday, posting sweet messages on the platform.
Instagram/@simihaze
“Happy Bday to our little Xmas munchkin (sic),” they captioned a photo of Gigi sporting festive pajamas and posing in front of a Christmas tree.
However, due to the continuing COVID-19 pandemic, not everyone got to celebrate the holiday with all of their loved ones this year.
Dubai-based Lebanese-Australian model and humanitarian Jessica Kahawaty revealed that her and her brother Julien both tested positive a few days ago, meaning they were unable to spend time with their mother.
Instagram/@jessicakahawaty
“Thinking of all those that can’t celebrate Christmas with their families today,” she wrote. “My brother and I caught (COVID-19) about a week ago, so we are unable to be with my mother today,” she added alongside a teary-eyed emoji.
But she assured her one million Instagram followers that they are doing well despite the circumstances. “We’re okay! Playing backgammon and having tea on the balcony,” she shared. “So good to hear people outside.”