At Charles IT, we fully embrace the holiday spirit, keeping our office lively and festive throughout the season! This year, we celebrated with a fun-filled cookie bake-off, our annual Secret Santa exchange, and even a cozy hot cocoa break.
A Sweet Success: Our Cookie Bake-Off
Let’s start with the cookie bake-off, a definite highlight! While the judging panel officially included just three members, the whole office couldn’t resist sampling the delicious homemade treats. It’s the season of indulgence after all! The top prize went to Julia for her mouthwatering chocolate chip s'more cookies, but honestly, every participant was a winner because, let’s face it, who doesn’t love free cookies?
Betta kept things more traditional and baked delicious gingerbread cookies. “That spice smell just smells like the holidays,” Betta dished, adding, “It’s just so festive!” Honestly, we agree! Arianna also took the classic route and made tasty chocolate chip cookies but with a Christmas flair!
The Fun of Secret Santa
Next up was our office Secret Santa! For those unfamiliar with the tradition, it’s a gift exchange where participants randomly draw names to anonymously give a gift to another participant, typically within a set budget. At Charles IT, our $20 limit sparked some creative ideas. Sal, for example, knew that that the person he’s gifting loves ice cream, so he got them an ice cream maker! Isaiah’s gift was pretty similar, except his was a waffle maker! Scarlette’s giftee must also have a sweet tooth since she got them Jingle Jangle Holiday Mix from Trader Joe’s. Mike kept with the food theme, although his gift was a pizza shaped blanket! As for Alexandra, the recipient of her Secret Santa gifts got an Apple Watch band and toys for his dog! Not everyone can handle the pressure of Secret Santa though, such as Steph, who admitted, “I will never do another secret Santa again. I was burned years ago.”
Santa’s Visit, a Cocoa Break, and Decking the Halls
Speaking of Santa, he of course made an appearance at Charles IT to share some holiday spirit! Don’t worry, he confirmed that everyone here made the nice list this year!
Our holiday celebrations didn’t stop there. The leadership team hosted a special hot cocoa break, serving hot chocolate and mini muffins to start the day on a sweet note. Some team members also got creative with holiday desk decorations. For instance, Betta adorned her cubicle with a menorah and stockings, Jack hung his handmade ornament, and Julia decked her computer with gold tinsel. We even had a stocking-decorating session during lunch breaks, keeping the festive fun going strong!
Once the holiday season is over, Charles IT will celebrate our annual holiday party in February, so most of our team can join in the fun during a less busy time of year. It definitely gives us something to look forward to in the new year!
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Cherished Traditions and Festive Favorites
When our team isn’t spreading holiday cheer in the office, they’re embracing their own fun and unique traditions at home! For instance, Jay’s favorite part of the holidays is when everyone comes over to his house on Christmas Eve and his kids get a visit from Santa! Nick is also fond of Christmas Eve, since that’s when his entire family gathers at his grandmother’s house to celebrate together!
It is all about Christmas morning for Spencer though, because that’s when his family opens their stockings over breakfast! Alexandra’s family has their own Christmas breakfast tradition too, which is making and eating goop and monkey bread. While many are familiar with the sticky, sweet bread, Alexandra explained that goop is an old family recipe. “It consists of eggs, sausage, bread, and lots of onions, similar to a breakfast stuffing,” she revealed.
Speaking of old family traditions, Chris shared that one of his favorite parts of the holidays is Christmas crackers, which are festive decorations that make a popping sound when pulled apart by two people. They traditionally contain a small gift, a joke, candy, and a paper crown. In Chris’s family, if you get the paper crown when you pop it, you must wear the hat throughout dinner!
As for Jack, he loves traveling to Long Island to spend the holidays with his extended family, while Mark prefers to stay home since he hosts his family members for Christmas Day. Mike also spends Christmas with family, but his favorite thing to do is decorate the tree with them before the big day!
Sal and Caitlyn are all about giving presents, with Sal gushing, “I love watching my kids open their gifts.” Caitlyn feels the same way, but she does admit to having one rule: gifts must be opened one at a time to savor the moment. “I love picking out presents for other people, so I cherish seeing their reaction to opening each present individually,” she explained.
Isaiah has a special gift that he looks forward to every year, which is Lego’s Master Builder Car of the Year. He revealed that this season he’ll be putting together a Lamborghini. Betta has two favorite holiday traditions, which are brunch on Christmas morning and the latkes her mother makes from scratch for their Hanukah dinner! Ellie also has a few special holiday must-do’s, including cutting down a Christmas tree with her family, decorating gingerbread houses, and making Christmas cookies!
What are your favorite holiday traditions? Share them with us on Facebook, LinkedIn, or Instagram—we’d love to hear from you!
Looking Ahead to 2025
As we wrap up 2024, we want to thank you for an amazing year. From all of us at Charles IT, we wish you a joyful holiday season and a prosperous 2025! Ready to kick off the new year? Schedule a call with us today!
