EDITOR’S LETTER: from the desk of The Weekly’s Nicole Byers
When it comes to festive cheer, there are two kinds of people. Those who squeal with delight the moment the rst over-eager shopkeeper strings up tinsel. And the ones who bah humbug anyone so much as whistling a few bars of Silent Night before December 24. Having seen our photo above, there are no prizes for guessing which category we fall into. It’s my second year working on The Weekly’s iconic Christmas issue, and I’ve already noticed some very clear traditions that come with this particular honour.
1. Fran’s famous ham lunch. Each year the team eagerly gather around the meeting table, awaiting the jangling of our Food Director’s trusty Test Kitchen trolley. With a ourish, a linen shroud is lifted to reveal a glistening glazed ham with all the trimmings and an array of sides (even our vegetarians are not disappointed). The best thing? This tasty tradition is repeated at least three times. Hooray for triple testing!
2. Team wrapping. Even before supermarket shelves groan with the rst mince pies, we hold The Weekly’s annual presentwrapping working bee. Empty boxes are lined up alongside rolls of Christmas paper and ribbons, as the team create mock gifts for our celebrity, fashion and food shoots. Only the neatest wrappers make the cut – look out for their handiwork.
3. An Aussie Christmas story. Last year it was Christmas Creek, and this year Tathra was the town visited by our intrepid News and Features Editor Samantha for her community Christmas feature. Warning: have the tissues handy for this heartwarming story of a town rebuilding eight months after a devastating re (see page 56).
4. The red dress. What’s the Christmas issue without a favourite Aussie celebrity in a show-stopping red gown? This year, designer Toni Maticevski was behind the stunning look created for our cover star Maggie Beer. Talk about a perfect pairing.
And then there’s the new tradition of me talking the team into Christmas sweaters and novelty headwear for a photo. So pass the crackers and bring on the cheesy jokes. It just wouldn’t be Christmas without them!
Season’s Greetings from The Weekly team. From left: Fran Abdallaoui (best theatrics), Stefanie Costi (biggest star holder), Genevieve Gannon (biggest grin), Bianca Lane (best balanced miniature hat), Rebecca Rac (best cheekbones), Juliet Rieden (most regal pose), Samantha Trenoweth (best tinsel headband), Mattie Cronan (best bon bon battle), Nicole Byers (best tiara), Samantha Nunney (best paper hat), Nicole Hickson (best festive glow), Joshua Beggs (best beard), Bronwyn Phillips (best antlers), Miranda Herron (best sideways glance), Bernard O’Shea (best big elf ears), Tiffany Dunk (glitziest antlers), Jennifer Mullins (best hipster pose), Sarah Farago (best bon bon brandisher).