KEY POINTS:
The best presents, the best holidays, the best people to share it with. Plus the times and the places where it all went wrong. We hear a range of happy tales and heartache.
Murray Crane, Crane Brothers
When I was 8, I got a new bike. At
the time it was the best Christmas present I'd ever received as it definitely created great elation. My best friend also got a bike. His was a Chopper, complete with three-speed gears and a Chopper guard flag. By 2.30pm that afternoon my bike had (temporarily at least) become the worst present I ever received.
My plans for 2007 are to not attempt any major resolutions or overhaul things too much. I'd definitely like to have as much time to kill as I did when I was 8, even if I still don't own a Chopper.
Juliette Hogan, designer
I love Christmas but it's so much more than just the 25th for me - it's the whole summer holiday period. One of my best memories was at our bach at Woolleys Bay. There was always a sandcastle competition on the beach and one year I was crowned the champ. The prize was $5, which I trotted off with down to the local store and bought masses of 5c fizzy frostie lollies. So delicious and so exciting. I still boast about it.
The worst was in South America a couple of years back where I had incredible altitude sickness. I stayed holed up in a dirty Cuzco hotel room with cockroaches scuttling along the walls, the room service menu suggesting dishes of roast guinea pig, and shivering myself to sleep while the others were trekking along the beautiful Inca Trail.
In 2007, I'm looking forward to featuring in the fashion bible Sportswear International, and continuing to grow my label both here and in the international markets. I'm loving that my clothes will be available in New York for their coming winter season. And I can't wait to jump out of a plane at 15,000ft over Wanaka in early January.
Cris Roberts, Pearl
To me every Christmas is good. It's about family, dear friends and sharing, every year is magical. However, there was one sad time that my sister Fiona reminded me of the other day. We were living in a council estate in Farmborough, England. She was 5 and I was 11. Our parents had separated. Every year Mum had knitted dolls clothes for me and my three little sisters. This particular year we found Mum sitting on her own at three in the morning on Christmas Eve and she was in tears, with her knitting in her hands unable to finish the clothes. But it wasn't presents that mattered, it was that all us kids were with her for Christmas, it was still a family. As it turned out a charity gave us some presents on Christmas morning, so a big thank you to mum and to the many charities that work so hard to help families in times of struggle.
In 2007, I'm looking forward to opening a small boutique store on Ponsonby Rd to house a collection of beautiful shoes from Sara Riley, party frocks and wedding dresses from A La Robe, and of course the Pearl collections.
Kate Fay, Cibo
As long as you are surrounded by friends and family and have lots of laughs everything always goes well. For the past few years, as a family we have gone to Christmas Eve Mass, then had quiet Christmas mornings opening presents, getting the ham in the oven. Friends and neighbours pop in and champagne is drunk. Presents are exchanged and coffee is brewed. In the evening all the family members come together at someone's house. We've had a couple of bad Christmas Days. Two years in a row Dad was at A&E with heart problems.
Helene Morris, Aimee McFarlane and Steve Ferguson, Lonely Hearts Club
* Helene Morris' worst Christmas: One year Santa accidentally wrote the wrong name on one of my presents. I was so excited when I ripped into it and found a fab new fluoro cap. Then mum realised that it wasn't meant for me and it was promptly stripped off my head and given to my sister.
* Aimee McFarlane's best: The year we got a trampoline was awesome. Dad kept asking us what the weather was like outside. Nobody was that interested in the weather, until 30 minutes later my brother finally looked out of the window. Major excitement and a whole lot of noise as four little kids woke the neighbours at 6am on Christmas morning bouncing and hooting.
* Steve Ferguson's poetic hopes for 2007: In all the whole town a wonderful spot will be saved for a show that the Lonely Hearts drop. Zuzzes and Seusses will come to unite in a range that is sure to be full of delight. Lorax, Sneetches and Cats in the Hat, a most wonderful time ... oh imagine that.