Billy Porter on Why He Chooses to 'Work' and 'Be of Service' During the Holidays: 'It Fills Me Up'
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Despite what it may seem like, Billy Porter is "not a holiday person."
With a history of performances at the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade and the National Christmas Tree Lighting, plus the releasing of several holiday singles over the years, Porter recently told PEOPLE "the truth" about what keeps bringing him back to the Christmas scene.
"To keep myself in the holiday spirit and sort of be present in this space, I go to work and it fills me up," Porter, 53, revealed to PEOPLE exclusively ahead of his performance at Bloomingdale's holiday window unveiling on Thursday night in New York City.
"The holidays can be difficult sometimes," he continued. "So I find that I'm more in the holiday spirit when I'm working inside of it. That's what keeps me coming back because if I'm not doing anything, I will be depressed."
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His reasoning? "There's so much of it," the Emmy Award winner said — specifically referring to the "commercialization of Christmas," like "the fact that I'm in stores right after Halloween and it's already Christmas."
While Porter noted that "it can be too much sometimes," as it often weighs heavy on him mentally, he explained that "showing up and doing things like this really affects my mental health in a great way."
He added, "Because I show up and I'm being of service in some way. Sharing my gifts is being of service... and I like that." Porter kicked off Bloomingdale's Best Holiday Ever campaign with a special performance, continuing the celebration of the American luxury store's 150th anniversary.
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But come Dec. 25th, the lights and the production of all that he surrounds himself with leading up to Christmas Day go dark for Porter — and the emphasis is placed on family, "whether it's blood or whether it's chosen."
"I go really quiet. My life is really large," said the Pose star of how he celebrates the holidays. "My husband, the dog, my sister, a couple of friends... those are the traditions." He adds, "Making sure that those connections happen is a really good thing for me."
This "tradition" in part dates back to his childhood, where the importance of the day was centered around loved ones — as opposed to the thing that has become synonymous with the holiday: presents.
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For Porter, "The focus at Christmas time was not about giving gifts. It was about family," he says. "I grew up very poor. We didn't have a lot of money," he noted while emphasizing, "The focus was really about connection with family and not necessarily who's going to get what or how much you're going to get."
Though the singer says he doesn't need a gift, he did mention that his husband, Adam Smith, is a good gift giver — unlike Porter who revealed, "I'm not the greatest at it." Thanks to Smith, Porter has been learning the art of gift giving; though, has admittedly been sticking to his own preferred gift-giving game plan.
"I ask the person what they want," explained Porter. "I'm going to get you that gift," he simply stated before confessing, "It's not the greatest strategy."
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While December is almost near and the new year is right around the corner, Porter has a few passion projects in the works that he's eager to share. "I'm looking forward to my new music. I have new music coming out," he revealed. "I'm excited to expand my creative presence in that space again."
As for New Year's resolutions? "No, I don't do that," Porter instantly said without hesitation.
He followed up with, "Just be grateful."
