We did it, everyone. We made it to the end of 2022. We’ve laughed, we’ve cried, we still haven’t mastered turning ourselves off mute but we’ve made it through.
Here’s what some of our superstar staff are up to over the holiday break!
Susie Mangan (Sales, Adelaide)
Christmas for me is all about the people (and the food… but mostly the people). I’m feeling so grateful this year because I haven’t had a Christmas with my English/Irish family in six years, and this year they’re making the trip over to Adelaide to spend the festive period here.
My favourite Christmas traditions include:
- Putting up our Christmas tree while listening to a dodgy bootleg Christmas record we found in a little record shop in Camden many years ago.
- Waking up on Christmas morning and having a glass of bubbles in our PJs.
- And in the evening, trying to beat my mum in a game of Super Rummy, while gorging on a box of Quality Streets.
Josh Webster (10 News First, Adelaide)
This year has been full of changes and challenges for my family. We moved from Sydney to Adelaide earlier this year, to be closer to my wife’s family after the pandemic. Now we’re settled and looking forward to Christmas Day in our new home with family.
This year, I’m taking on the mother-in-law’s famous glazed ham recipe for everyone. Will I be the MasterChef and out cook her? Only time will tell… (most likely not, but it’ll be fun!)
Felicity Shearer (Wardrobe, Hair & Make-Up, Melbourne)
This Christmas I’m going to Ocean Grove with my husband and three kids. I’m looking forward to putting down the phone and making memories with my family!
Fabian Rinaldo (Sales, Adelaide)
This Christmas I’ll be looking forward to a very well-deserved break!
My Christmas Eve and Day will consist of lots and lots of eating:
- 2 x dinners on Christmas Eve
- 1 x breakfast Christmas Day
- 2 x Christmas day lunches
- 1 x Christmas night dinner and
- Three to four food induced coma’s
“Nala” is not looking forward to whatever Xmas-themed dog costume we find this year.
Sean Marsicovetere (10 News First, Melbourne)
Coming from a big Italian family, Christmas Day is a big affair.
It’ll be spent at my Aunty’s house in Kew with around 35 of us for Christmas lunch; lasagna, roast turkey, prawns and pudding.
This year however, it’s extra special as we have a new addition to our family, my six-month-old niece Violet, so I’ll be on Uncle duties over the Christmas break.
It’s a busy time of year, a week later the celebrations continue with my birthday falling on January 1.
Once Christmas and New Year’s is out of the way, I am looking forward to some down time on the Mornington Peninsula with my partner.
Ashleigh Brooks (Sales, Melbourne)
Christmas is an extreme sport in my family. We dabble in everything from Christmas movie marathons to gingerbread decorating competitions during the three months leading up to Christmas, getting increasingly intense the closer we get to the big day. It all culminates in a day of family, good food, and lots of laughter!
Hannah Pemberton (Publicity, Sydney)
I grew up in Hobart, and around the regional areas the fire department would drive around bushfire prone suburbs on Christmas Eve with their sirens on. They’d throw lollies all over your front lawn in exchange for a slab of beer! As a kid, I’d get so excited when I heard their sirens coming!
Milan Blazevic (Programmatic Sales, Sydney)
My Christmas plan is with the family. So, a lot of overeating, debates and mum dressing up as Santa for all the nieces and nephews!
Shannon Claridge (HR, Sydney)
I’m actually laying low this year so I can save for Europe! But Christmas day is always a beach swim in the morning with friends and then Xmas lunch with family, diving straight into the pav to put me into a full food coma! Then, a Christmas movie to end the night with my nieces!
Craig Howlett (Promos, Sydney)
Cooler, you know you’re my fav, but I simply cannot disclose my plans for public consumption. Blake Gibson, however, loves to share.
The Water Cooler reached out to Blake for response: “There’s a ton of other well deserving, hard-working people who’d love to be featured.”
The Water Cooler will try to keep everyone updated with Promo’s Christmas plans, but it appears their favourite game is pass the parcel.
Priscilla Yip (Digital Sales, Sydney)
I usually do a Christmas Eve dinner with family and then a roast lunch with friends. But this year, I’m heading to Port Stephens!
Tsi-Wei Yap (Insights Analyst, Sydney)
I’m a Grinch this year. I’ll probably family-hop like an orphan and eat everyone’s spreads, hehe!
Alex De Marco (IS and Broadcast Support, Brisbane)
I often work the holidays. So, I’m usually here in the office enjoying free Air Con with MacGyver on in the background while I work. That’s OG Mac, not the new one. It’s probably the best show on 10 Bold along with Jake & The Fatman, Diagnosis Murder, and Star Trek: The Next Generation.
I am incredibly boring and my traditions are mostly stupid but entertain me and my mates (the ones without children and other responsibilities).
Christmas week usually involves having a few drinks, games and repeating a playlist of the best Christmas movies.
For games, it’s co-op classics like N64 Gauntlet Legends, Goldeneye, Mario Kart, Mario Party Enhanced Edition, Quake Xmas Jam etc.
The Christmas movies are Die Hard 1 and 2, Lethal Weapon 1 and 2, Gremlins, Star Wars holiday special, and Batman Returns.
And a New Year’s tradition we have is to watch Enemy Of The State with Will Smith. If you start the movie at approx. 10:56:17PM, then at midnight you will reach the infamous “YOU HAVE SOMETHING THEY WANT” line spoken by the legendary Gene Hackman, aka ‘Brill’.
Merry Christmas and a “Brill” New Year everyone!
Robert Needham (Traffic, Brisbane)
Christmas is my favourite time of the year and being this is my fourth year in Australia, I’m finally getting a little more use to it not being a cooler white Christmas like back home in Canada. That being said, we’ll definitely hit up the beach now that we’re living on the Gold Coast.
I’ve always loved Christmas Eve and each year I make sure to watch a couple of Christmas movies, It’s a Wonderful Life (only black and white movie I really can watch) and some version of A Christmas Carol with some Crown Royal (Canadian Whisky) on the rocks.
My wife of 10 years makes the best Christmas sugar cookies so she’ll be continuing that awesome tradition again, which I love!
Since we’ve had kids, we always do new family Christmas Jim-jams on Christmas Eve then put out the cookies, milk and carrots for Santa which my son loves doing.
