The Sweet Meaning Behind Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck’s Hummingbird Christmas

Ben Affleck and Jennifer Lopez were birds of a feather this holiday season – hummingbirds to be exact. In an “On the JLo” newsletter from Dec. 26, Lopez shared how the two shared their first Christmas together as a married couple, as well as the avian symbolism that inspired their decor. “I like to create a theme for every holiday,” Lopez explained. “To me, hummingbirds are messengers of love. They’re very agile-can fly forward, backward, and up and down. They’re also the fastest bird but they always have time to stop, eat something sweet and smell the roses. I identify with them, but more than anything, whenever I see one, I feel like it’s a sign from God that everything is going to be OK.”

Having just written a song entitled “Hummingbird” for her upcoming album, this seemed like the perfect theme to bring together Affleck and Lopez’s respective families. “We have blended families, doubled the people, doubled the fun, doubled the love, doubled the presents and tripled the chaos!!” Lopez wrote in her email. To make sure the meaning of the hummingbird was fully present during Christmas, Lopez decided the best place to start was with the tree.

“I wanted to have a tree in the house that was a hummingbird tree, reminding us that everything done in love and with love will always be OK,” she said. To top it all off, she found the ultimate hummingbird dress to wear to their family Christmas party. “I also picked hummingbird colors for my holiday party dress this year,” Lopez wrote. “It’s a Gucci dress that I’ve had in my closet which I bought a year ago and I’ve been waiting for the perfect occasion to wear. I thought it was perfect for our Hummingbird Christmas Party.”

At the party, the families kicked off their Hummingbird Christmas with a holiday edition of Taco Tuesday and Christmas carols, which Lopez said had been a tradition for eight years, prior to COVID. “During the pandemic that went to the wayside, so this was the first time in a long time we were able to get together with people that we haven’t seen in forever,” she said. “We sang and danced and had the most amazing time!”

Related: Ben Affleck and Jennifer Lopez Serenade Their Guests at Their Star-Studded Christmas Party

The Christmas party in question, which took place on Dec. 17, included a star-studded guest list with attendees like Doja Cat, Kim Kardashian, and Billie Eilish. And while Lopez may have made it seem like a humble gathering, this was no ordinary get-together. According to videos posted online, a holiday party at the Lopez-Affleck household actually includes Steve Mackey on the piano, a hot-chocolate station, and even a gingerbread replica of the couple’s own house. Bonus points if you catch Affleck singing John Legend’s “By Christmas Eve,” or Lopez joining Mackey in a spirited rendition of “It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year.” The FOMO is real.