From unwanted Secret Santa gifts to guest etiquette fails, Natasha and her guests dive into the dos and don’ts of navigating holiday gatherings with humour and grace. 

Synopsis: The Usual Place host Natasha Ann Zachariah hunts for new perspectives on issues that matter to young people.

The holiday season is here, bringing with it the fun - and sometimes the headache - of social gatherings. Whether it’s an office party, a house dinner, or a festive get-together with friends, the rules of holiday etiquette can be blurry.

On this episode of The Usual Place, Natasha is joined by colleagues who are seasoned party hosts themselves - The Straits Times features correspondent Elizabeth Law and ST senior audience growth specialist Friday Farzanah.

With tinsel on their mics and an adorable alt-Christmas tree, the trio dissect different scenarios of holiday etiquette, from navigating cheapo Secret Santas to guests who break your glasses. They debate whether “enforced fun” like icebreaker games should be, well, enforced, and reflect on gracious hosting and thoughtful guest behavior.

What pet peeves do you have about office parties, or being a guest or host during the holiday season? Tell us in the comment section below!

Highlights (click/tap above):

1:56 Secret Santa - yay or nay?

7:06 The rules of regifting

17:50 Is it ok to flake on a house party if you don’t feel up to it?

27:48 The paw-rent dilemma of dealing with excited guests

39:05 Tag-team hosting

Host: Natasha Zachariah (natashaz@sph.com.sg)

Follow Natasha on her IG account and DM her your thoughts on this topic: https://str.sg/8Wav

Follow Natasha on LinkedIn: https://str.sg/v6DN

Read Natasha's articles: https://str.sg/iSXm

Read Elizabeth Law’s articles: https://str.sg/wL8c

Filmed by: ST Video

Edited by ST Podcast producers: Teo Tong Kai, Eden Soh and Elsa Goh

Executive producers: Ernest Luis & Lynda Hong

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