Despite recording Christmas albums, Michael Jackson and his siblings were raised in the Jehovah Witness faith, and so their Christmas celebrations stopped in the recording studio.

The entertainment world lost one of its most talented, eccentric, controversial, and enigmatic stars last summer when Michael Jackson died in what has been deemed a homicide by the LAPD. The surprising loss of one of pop’s true superstars made the world take notice, as Michael’s music as a solo artist and with his brothers came back into high demand and the film This Is It became the highest grossing concert film of all time as the holiday season began.

The ride to super-stardom started very early for Michael, who joined his brothers in The Jackson 5 at only five years old. Worked hard (some say exceedingly so) by their father Joseph, the boys found themselves signed to Motown and adored by millions, but at the expense of their childhoods. While other children were playing ball, the brothers were recording albums, including 1970’s The Jackson 5 Christmas Album.

But don’t think that just because they were recording holiday music, they were sending out Christmas cards to their friends or fans. Raised in the Jehovah Witness faith, Michael and his eight brothers and sisters did not celebrate holidays like birthdays and Christmas. It was only as an adult – aged 35, in fact – that Michael experienced the joys of Christmas, thanks to his dear friend Dame Elizabeth Taylor. Liz had Michael’s living room decorated with a Christmas tree, presents and lights (and perhaps some Christmas cards on the mantle?), so that when he woke up that morning, he would have a true holiday fairytale. They spent the day opening presents and playing with Super Soaker squirt guns, a favorite toy of the man who was always looking for his childhood as an adult.

Michael Jackson's best friend, Elizabeth Taylor, was one of the first people who brougt the tradition of celebrating Christmas into his life.

When he finally realized his dream of becoming a father, Michael made sure to celebrate the holidays he missed as a kid with his daughter and two sons. For this reason, six months to the day of Michael’s death, the Jackson family is believed to have put its religious traditions aside in order to give Prince, Paris, and Blanket as normal a Christmas as possible, carrying on the wishes of their father.

There is a lot to be learned from the amazing and often tragic life of Michael Jackson. Perhaps the most important lesson is that children need to be given the opportunity to be children. If this current generation of Jackson kids gets that chance in light of what happened to the King of Pop, perhaps that will be their greatest gift of all.