Days of our Lives went through a lot of changes this year — most notably, the show moved from NBC to streaming series Peacock. However, one thing will never (we hope) change — the Hortons gathering to hang ornaments on the family Christmas tree. Suzanne Rogers chatted with Soap Hub about this annual, beloved tradition.
Suzanne Rogers — Holidays With the Hortons
“It wouldn’t be Christmas unless we did the hanging of the Horton ornaments,” Rogers (Maggie Horton Kiriakis) previews to Soap Hub about the holiday episode set to air on Friday, December 23. “I’m so glad to be there for it.”
Rogers says that when she looks around the room, she can’t help but notice the wingback chair that Tom Horton (Macdonald Carey) and later, Alice Horton (Frances Reid) would sit in during holidays and many other episodes. “Everyone has a different memory of [those days] as we’ve shot so many episodes in the Horton house,” Rogers adds. “The younger cast members have, of course, more recent memories. Others have memories of past and present. That’s life, isn’t it?”
As DAYS viewers know, the Hortons have ornaments with the names of family members on them. Those family members include ones who are living, no longer with us, and are still with us but may not be in Salem every year. “When I see the name on the ornaments, I see that person’s face,” Rogers says. “We remember the people who came before us and the people who are with us now. Remembering makes us strong and loving. It’s all about family and loved ones.”
Beloved Family Members
Rogers says the bulbs that strike a particularly emotional chord with her are the ones belonging to Maggie’s daughter Sarah Horton Cook (Linsey Godfrey) and her late husband Mickey Horton (John Clarke). “I remember the first Christmas that [Maggie] was invited to the Horton house for Christmas,” the actress says. “It was shocking because Maggie didn’t have parents. She was coming into a family. That meant so much to her, and it’s always meant a lot to me.”
Even though Maggie moved forward with her life after Mickey’s passing and married Victor Kiriakis (John Aniston), Julie Olson Williams (Susan Seaforth Hayes) let her know that she’d always be a Horton. “Just because you have a different life doesn’t mean you ever want to get rid of your old one,” Rogers muses. “I love that Maggie is a member of the Horton family and always will be.”
Suzanne Rogers — Summer Holidays
If you think home and clothing stores get out the holiday decorations too early, try working at DAYS. The show tapes well ahead of air shows, so the actors experience Christmas in late July. “Our beautiful [costumer] Richard [Bloore] does his darnedest to get us all in red, green, and white,” Rogers says. “It’s hard to find those colors in the summer!”
Rogers is confident that the show’s loyal fanbase will continue to follow the show now that it’s on a streaming service. “If you do it enough, you’ll get the hang of it,” she says of the technical aspect involved. As for the annual holiday gathering, she muses, “Every year, it’s a bit different with a few new cast members, but the sentiment is the same. It’s about Tom and Alice and how they started it all.”
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