Welcome to Students Incorporated. I'm your host,
Mr. Jason. Join me weekly as my students and
I bring you content that's informative, positive,
fun, and uplifting. This podcast is created and
produced with the help of students from the International
Community School of Bangkok. Welcome back to
this special holiday episode, our last episode
of 2025. If the audio sounds a little fuller
today, that's because the studio is packed. We'll
be having the entire Season 4 team in and out
of the studio today. Today is our final episode
of 2025. We are heading into our winter break
after this, and we won't be back until the end
of January 2026. But don't worry, we'll be back.
We just have a long break ahead. We have skipped
the formal interviews today. Instead, we are
celebrating with some weird holiday games, a
little bit of singing, we apologize in advance,
and the main event, the great secret Santa gift
exchange. The table in front of us is piled high
with wrapped boxes and I have no idea what's
inside them. But before we get started, let's
hear our quote of the day and get some headline
news. Our quote of the day comes from author
Susan Gale, who captures the magic and kindness
of the season perfectly. She said sometimes the
smallest gift Given in secret can warm the biggest
heart. I think that's such a beautiful reminder
of what makes Christmas stories so special. It's
not about grand gestures or expensive presents.
It's about thoughtfulness, surprise, and the
joy of giving without expecting anything in return.
Secret Santa moments remind us of kindness. It
doesn't need an audience to make an impact. It's
those quiet acts of generosity that truly makes
a holiday shine. And that's our quote of the
day. Now onto some headline news. Thank you for
the quote of the day. Now here's some headline
news from around the world. Our first headline
comes from Reuters. Reuters reports that Dublin
has cancelled its popular Christmas at the Castle
market for both 2025 and 2026. The venue is being
reserved for events linked to Ireland's upcoming
EU presidency, meaning one of the city's biggest
holiday attractions won't return for the next
two seasons. While alternative Christmas events
will continue across Dublin, Many vendors and
local tourism groups say the cancellation will
have a noticeable economic impact during the
holiday rush. Our next headline comes from AP
News. According to the Associated Press, seafarer
welfare organizations are ramping up their annual
Christmas outreach programs in major ports around
the world. Volunteers are delivering gift packages,
helping crews contact their families and offering
support to workers who have been at sea for months.
With shipping delays and long voyages, Increasing
this year, the effort is being described as one
of the largest seafarer Christmas support operations
in recent years. And finally, our last headline
comes from The Guardian. The Guardian reports
that a record number of climate and Gaza -related
protesters will be spending Christmas in UK prisons
this year. Rights groups say that the unusually
high number reflects a stricter government response
to civil disobedience. Advocates argue that the
situation highlights ongoing tensions between
national security laws and the right to peacefully
protest, an issue drawing extra attention during
the holiday season. And that ends our headline
news for this episode. Thank you, Vijay. To start
off this segment, and before we get into our
secret Santa game, we wanted to do something
different. We all know about Santa Claus, Christmas
trees, the Christmas story about Jesus' birth,
and other holiday traditions. But the world is
a big place, and not everyone celebrates the
same way. So I asked my team to do a little research
and find the weirdest, wackiest, or just most
interesting holiday traditions from around the
globe. Proud, why don't you start us off? What
did you find? I found one from Iceland, and honestly
it's kind of terrifying. It's called the Yule
Cat. The Yule Cat? That sounds cute, I think.
It is definitely not cute. It's a giant vicious
cat that is said to prowl around the snowy countryside
during Christmas. The legend says that if you
don't receive new clothes to wear before Christmas
Eve, the Yule Cat will come and eat you. Wait,
it eats you because you didn't go shopping? Basically,
it was originally a way to get farm workers to
work harder so they could finish processing the
wool before winter. If you worked hard, you'd
get new clothes. If you didn't, you'd work cat
food. If you get socks for Christmas this year,
be grateful. They might save your life. So, remind
me to buy some socks later. BJ, follow that up.
What do you have? I found a tradition that is
much tastier, but just as surprising. It's from
Japan. In Japan, Christmas isn't a national holiday,
but they have a massive tradition for Christmas
dinner. Kentucky Fried Chicken. KSC, of all things?
Really? Dead serious. It started in 1974 with
a marketing campaign called Kentucky for Christmas.
It was so successful that now families order
their party barrels months in advance. The lines
are huge. It's estimated that 3 .6 million Japanese
families eat fried chicken on December 25th.
So, forget the turkey. Bring on the bucket of
fried chicken. That is a marketing team that
deserves a raise. James, take us to the next
continent. Okay, I'm taking us to Caracas, Venezuela.
If you think going to church on Christmas morning
is boring, you haven't been to Caracas. There,
it is a tradition for the entire city to travel
to morning mass on roller skates. Roller skates?
Really? Yes, really. It is such a popular tradition
that the city actually closes the streets to
cars until 8am so everyone can skate safely to
church. They even tug on strings hanging out
of windows as they skate by to wake up the kids.
It sounds like a giant street party. That sounds
incredible. I think we should try that here in
Bangkok, although the traffic might be an issue.
Yein, what is your weird tradition? Mine is from
Germany, and it's a beautiful, quiet tradition
that happens in the weeks leading up to Christmas.
Many German families celebrate advent calendars,
but not just the chocolate kind. Many families
create their own. Each day from December 1st
to the 24th, they open a little door or a little
packet that holds a small meaningful gift. It
could be a piece of candy, a tiny toy, a verse
from a poem, or a note with an act of kindness
to perform that day. It's about building anticipation
and spreading little moments of joy every single
day leading up to Christmas rather than just
one big day. It helps families focus on the small
precious moments of togetherness. Oh, I love
that. A little bit of joy every day. So to recap,
we have giant fashion police cats, KFC buckets,
roller skating churchgoers and daily doses of
Advent kindness. The world is a wonderful place,
Mr. Jason. It certainly is. And I love it. Speaking
of kindness and anticipation, it's time for one
of our own traditions. Well, We've never done
this before with our team, so this is a first.
Our team did a secret Santa gift exchange. All
the team members are in the process of opening
their gifts or have just finished opening their
gifts. We will go one by one and each team member
will do four things when they step up to the
mic. They will introduce themselves, describe
the gift they opened, read the one word clue,
then guess who it was from. Then, you may either
hear a yes or no from the crowd. Okay, to get
this thing started, we'll have our co -host go
first, then break for a quick PSA, and then we'll
finish with everyone else. Okay, Proud, you go
first. Hi, I'm Proud, I'm the co -host of Students
Incorporated, and my gift is a matcha plushies,
and one word clue that I got is pen, so I think
it's from pun. No. Okay, it's not from pun, so...
Would the secret Santa like to reveal themselves?
Who is the matcha plushie from? Maybe it's yay
in and she's not here. Oh, yeah. All right. So
do you like your gift? I love my gift. All right.
Okay. All right. Next up is Mr. James. James,
come on up to the mic. Okay, we just before James
reveals his gift. We just found out that Proud's
gift is from VJ, but he was too shy to admit
that anyways. Thank you VJ for the gift. that
Proud got. Okay, James, you're up. All right,
I'm James, one of the co -hosts for Students
Incorporated. My gift is a Bath and Body Works
cleansing gel hand soap, Peach Bellini. And the
clue word is a joke, which I don't know. I would
probably think it's from Robin. Oh, okay. It's
not from Robin. Okay, what secrets Santa like
to reveal themselves? it's a pun oh my it's from
pun all right there you go that's okay next up
we have esther go ahead and introduce yourself
and describe your gift read the one word clue
and then guess who you think it's from so my
name is esther and i'm one of the co -hosts the
gift that i got was hand cream lip balm and a
christmas tree clip hair clip And the one word
clue I got was volleyball, and I think it's from
Enwoo. Enwoo? Yes. Oh, yes, that's a great guess.
Good job. Thank you. And there you go. That's
how the game is played. We'll finish up with
everyone else right after this short PSA, so
don't go anywhere. We have had so much fun today,
laughing at weird traditions, opening gifts and
enjoying the party. And it's true, the lights,
the food and the decorations are wonderful. But
I want to take a moment to pause because we know
that not everyone listening today celebrates
Christmas. And not everyone shares the same faith.
But there is a reason why this time of the year
feels different. There's a reason why for centuries,
people have paused in the month of December to
light a candle. Beyond the shopping malls and
the reindeer, the heart of Christmas isn't about
what, it's about who. It's a celebration of a
child born in a manger. A quiet moment that changed
history. For Christians, this is the birth of
Christ, the moment that hope and light entered
the world in the form of a baby. It's a story
that tells us that even in the darkest time,
we are not forgotten and we are loved. And whether
you observe this holiday religiously or not,
I think the message of that night is something
we all need right now. It's a message of peace
on earth and goodwill to all. So we invite you
to embrace that spirit of peace, of hope, humble
beginnings, and of a love that is meant to be
shared with everyone. From all of us at Students
Incorporated, we wish you true peace this season.
Okay, now back to our Secret Santa game. And
we are back to finish our Secret Santa game with
everyone else. Remember, come up to the mic,
introduce yourself, describe your gift, read
the one -word clue, and then guess who you think
it's from. We'll start with Highlight. Hi, I'm
Highlight, and I got two Christmas cups with
two golden spoons, like heart -shaped spoons,
and it's bubble -wrapped. I didn't receive a
note, unfortunately, but I think it's Vinaj,
because he's very sus at the moment. Vinaj, is
that from you? No. No, it's not. Okay. Would
Secret Santa like to reveal themselves? Is it
Joseph? It's me. Oh, yes. Congratulations. Thank
you, Joseph. It's a nice gift. Okay, Fonda is
up next. Go ahead and introduce yourself, describe
your gift, read the one word clue and the guess
who it's from. My name is Fonda and I got a Bath
and Bodywork candle. The clue that I got was
smell and I think it's from Lucas. Okay, Lucas
isn't here to say yes or no, but I guess we'll
find out later. But that was a nice gift. So
thank you. Maybe Lucas. Okay, next up is Sin
Sin. Introduce yourself, describe your gift,
read the one -word clue, and then guess who it's
from. Hi, I'm Sin Sin, and I got a sloth stuffed
animal, and my one -word clue is actually a picture
of a crescent moon, and I think it's from Midnight.
Yeah, it's from me. That's a nice gift, so thank
you. Okay, up next is Enwoo. What do you have?
I have a bunch of sweets. Yes of sweets. Yeah,
okay, and my guess is Esther Esther what was
your one -word clue? Sweet tooth sweet tooth.
Okay Esther is this gift from you. Oh very good
guess. All right Maybe you can share with the
rest of class. All right. Thank you Enmu Okay
up next is John introduce yourself describe your
gift read the one -word clue and then guess who
it's from Hello, my name is Sean. I'm the graphic
designer and I got a scented candle from Pop
Mart and my clue was for like number four so
I have no idea but I'm guessing Pung. Was the
scented candle from Pop Mart from Pung? No, it
wasn't. Maybe it's from Mr. Jason. If it's coffee
related. Alright, so I think that's from me,
John. Enjoy the candle, okay? Okay, up next is
Porsche. Introduce yourself, describe your gift,
read the one word clue, and guess who it's from.
Hi, my name is Porsche. My gift is like some
wireless earphones. My note is, it just says
smart. I think it's from highlight. The word
is smart. And you think it's from who? Highlight.
Highlight. Highlight said no. Pong, good job,
Pong. Okay, next up is Pong. Go ahead. Thank
you. So what I got is a box of... Caramel cookies,
a box of Kit Kats and a very long strands of.
How do you call this like? Yeah, it's just sweets.
Gummy sweets or gummy sweets. Yeah, gummies.
What was your one word clue? It's set master,
and I was going to go with Mr. Jason, but it
was reviewed as not you. OK. May probably highlight.
So the one -word clue is master? Yes. Okay, so
highlight, is this from you? Okay, does anybody
want to claim this Secret Santa gift? Fonda?
Fonda! Okay, very good. There you go. Now you
got some snacks over the holidays. Alright, thank
you, Pun. Okay, up next we have Peng. Introduce
yourself, describe your gift, read the one -word
clue and then guess who it's from. Hi, my name
is Peng. I'm on the content team. I got a dog
that's like a purse. And the one word clue is
a guitar. I think it's from John Shim. John,
is that from you? Yes. Good guess. Good guess.
And it looks good on you, by the way. Thanks.
Okay. Next up, we have Robin. Introduce yourself,
describe your gift, read the one word clue, and
then guess who it's from. Hi, I'm Robin. I got
starburst candy canes and the one word clue was
sleep. And I think it's from Yain. I think it's
from Yain. All right. Okay. All right. Well,
thank you, Robin. Okay. Up next, we have Vinaj.
Go ahead to introduce yourself and what gift
did you get? Read the one word clue and then
guess who it's from. I'm Vinaj and I got two
Starbucks coffee cups and I didn't get a note,
but I think it's from Proud. All right. So two
Starbucks coffee cups? Yeah. All right. Proud.
Is it from you? She put a note, but that was
a good guess, even without the note. So congratulations,
Fanaj. Good guess. Thank you. All right. We're
almost to the end of our secret Santa game. Next
up is Vijay. Introduce yourself. Describe your
gift. Read the one word clue and then guess who
it's from. Hi, I'm Vijay and I'm from the production
support team. For my gift, I got a clear travel
mug from Muji and the one word clue says Instagram.
Instagram. I'm guessing that it's Sin Sin because
I think she does the Instagram. Sin Sin is this
gift from you? Yeah, she gave us the thumbs up.
Good guess, VJ. All right. Thank you. Okay, next
up we have Yosep. Introduce yourself, describe
your gift, read the one word clue and then give
us your best guess. Hi, my name is Yosep and
I got two Lego sets. My one word clue was Asian,
which is really, really helpful. And I think
it's from Vonage. Alright, so two Lego sets.
The one word clue was Asian. Yosef has guessed
it's from Vinaj. Is this true? Yeah, very good.
Very good. Okay, next up we have Dorcas aka Midnight.
Introduce yourself, describe your gift, read
your one word clue and then guess who it's from.
My name is Dorcas or Midnight and the gift I
got is just a bunch of sweets. So I have some
like Hershey's Kisses and then some Sour Patch
Kids and stuff. And my one word clue is yes,
sir, with four exclamation marks. And I have
no idea who gave this, but I think maybe James.
No, Robin. Robin raised his hand. Good job, Robin.
All right. OK, last up is myself. I got a Mr.
Jason, by the way. I got a Lilo and Stitch. It
looks like you attach it to a backpack or a bag.
And the one word clue was car. Actually, there's
two clues, car and tall. And I think it's either
I think it's from Porsche. Well, thank you, Porsche.
Now, that's a wrap for our Secret Santa game.
Wow, we did it. Lots of gifts, lots of clues
and a lot of happy faces. And I won't be surprised
if there are some trading going on behind the
scenes now. And that everyone is a wrap on 2025.
I want to say a big massive thank you to you
our listeners whether you have been with us since
episode one or if this is your first time tuning
in. Thank you for your questions your support
and for letting us be a part of your week. Just
a reminder before we go we are taking our winter
break. The feed will be quiet for a few weeks
while we recharge and get ready for the new term.
So mark your calendars. Our first episode of
the new season drops on Thursday, January 29th,
2026. Until then, wherever you celebrate, we
hope you find peace, rest, and the joy with the
people you love. Have a Merry Christmas and a
fantastic New Year. From all of us here at the
studio, 3, 2, 1...