Dolly Parton refuses to work the week of Christmas

Dolly Parton says Christmas is a "sacred" time for her family she always makes sure she isn't working the week of the festive holiday.

The '9 to 5' hitmaker, 78, likes to ensure she has all her work wrapped up so she can enjoy quality time with her big family over the festive period.

She told 'E! News': “I've never missed Christmas.

“I try to book all my things beforehand [and] say, ‘Do not book me, certainly for the week of Christmas, 'cause I need to be home with my family.’

“I'm going to visit family and friends in East Tennessee.

“And then I'll be visiting Carl's family some, and then we'll just have all that food.”

The country music legend has been married to husband Carl Dean for 58 years and revealed they never buy each other "big fancy presents" for Christmas and prefer more "practical" gifts.

Dolly Parton Shares Rare Insight Into Marriage With Husband Carl Dean https://t.co/nDfnsVnbNG

— E! News (@enews) December 5, 2024

The 'Billy the Kid Comes Home for Christmas' author said: "Carl and I have never bought big fancy presents for each other.

“When I see things through the years that I think he would like, when I'm out, I'll just kind of collect stuff and give them to him.”

Revealing her spouse's DIY hobbies, she said: “He loves to work over at the barn.

He also loves to work outside. So, I'm always buying tools of different kinds.”

When it comes to buying for the music legend, Carl can't go wrong with pots and pans as Dolly loves to cook.

She said: “He knows I love to cook when I'm home and he always buys me something for the kitchen. A new pot or a new pan or some kind of something he's seen on TV he thinks I might like.

“We just buy practical things. We don't worry about it, either.”