Christmas is all about family – but this often extends to include your nominal “family” of loved ones, whoever they may be.

In fact, the best kind of celebrations tend to come not from a slightly tense turkey dinner with relatives you haven’t seen in three years but instead lifelong friends whom you pretty much count as family anyway. 

In an age where we’re all so frantically busy and glued to our phones 24-7, the chance to dial down and catch up is a rare thing indeed.

So it is with Eva Longoria and Victoria Beckham, who showed us all how friendship is done as they spent Christmas together at the Beckhams’ home in the Cotswolds this week. 

The pair, who met when the Beckham family moved to Los Angeles in 2007, were joined by their children for some quality festive time together. 

Longoria shared a photo of them on a walk together, as she paid tribute to “deep friendships that span over years and years”.

Longoria is also godmother to the Beckham’s youngest child, Harper Seven, and attended a christening for her and her older brother Cruz on the run-up to Christmas.

Beckham posted a photo of godmother and daughter on Instagram, along with Longoria’s baby son, Santiago (“Santi”).

In past interviews, Longoria revealed that she and Beckham have sleepovers together, and bond over a shared sense of humour.

“She’s the funniest person I know,” says the Desperate Housewives star. “She’s so funny – she makes me laugh!”

For her part, Beckham describes Longoria as the “smartest, most beautiful woman I ever met”.

The designer created a couture wedding dress for Longoria’s 2016 wedding to José Baston. The gown was made over a series of secret fittings.

“We had so much fun,” Longoria says. “She pulled out literally every dress she’s ever made and was like, ‘Do you like this top? That bottom? This material? That colour? That strap? That zipper?’ And we just went through everything and she had, pulled so many different white fabrics: ‘What about this one? What about that one?’”

At a time where female friendships still do not get the air time they deserve – either in fiction or real life – it’s great to see these two paving the way with a show of deep-rooted loyalty.

With benefits that span from better mental health to greater life expectancy, quality time with friends is one area of life that’s simply not worth scrimping on; and Christmas is the very best time to salute it.

Main image: Getty