How she spends the holidays

Barbara Schöneberger - How she spends the holidays

Presenter Barbara Schöneberger (49) is already looking forward to Christmas with her loved ones. "I live in a mega-harmonious extended family, everyone celebrates together, everyone comes. It's not at all like it often is with others: with all the stress and arguments," enthuses the presenter in an interview with the news agency spot on news. The 49-year-old also creates Christmas cheer on TV. On December 16, she will present a festive Christmas edition of "Verstehen Sie Spaß?". Das Erste and ORF will broadcast the show from 20:15.

What does your home look like at Christmas?

Schöneberger: My personal taste is that green and red is a horrible combination. But after I give in to the Christmas madness and the pre-Christmas feeling of my family, everything is decorated of course - then in a very classic way. I don't have the silver and purple garland with velvet bows on it, but everything is really classic red and green with real fir and amaryllis. I made 15 meters of real garlands that now surround various doors and fireplaces here. And my tree is huge and beautifully decorated. So, I think that's great. But I have to be honest, as soon as the first of January arrives, I'll be taking it all out. Then it's back to the beautiful tulips on the table.

Is there a Christmas tradition that is particularly close to your heart at this time of year?

Schöneberger: Yes, of course, I mean, at the end of the day, family life is always characterized by rituals. Of course, the children also demand this and it always has to be the same. I think rituals are a wonderful thing, especially at celebrations like this. And it doesn't bother me at all. However, I also live in a mega-harmonious extended family, everyone celebrates together, everyone comes, there are 20 of us. It's not at all like it often is with others: with all the stress and arguments. The adults don't give each other anything, which is also wonderful.

Don't you get stressed at all?

Schöneberger: I think you have to force yourself to be calm. The 23rd is always the worst day of the year. And every year I think to myself, why am I actually doing this? Because it's so busy and exhausting: until the tree is up, and then it has to be attached to the wall until it's decorated, and every time someone almost falls off the ladder and so on ... But somehow it's always great and I don't think I'd like to just celebrate Christmas and then fly to the Maldives.

Do you think it's good that adults no longer give each other presents?

Schöneberger: It was actually my idea! I'll be 50 years old next year. I have everything. I don't need a man to give me an Hermès scarf or a gold ring. If I feel like buying myself an Hermès scarf, I'll go out and buy it. And that's why I wouldn't take the risk of saying to my husband that I'd like a scarf like that and then he comes and buys it for me in green and blue and I want it in red and yellow. I think that's totally stupid.

So you don't want anything else for Christmas?

Schöneberger: To be honest, I spend quite a lot of money every day ... I think it's absurd to say at Christmas: "Now I'm going to buy myself a V-neck cashmere sweater". That's about the only day of the year when I don't buy anything and don't want anything. So I do it the other way around.

What's the most bizarre Christmas present you've ever received?

Schöneberger: Funnily enough, I once received a lot of things with pigs on them. Singing pigs, bags with pigs ... But when I got a tip-off, that stopped again. I've heard that they bring luck and money, but I still took the risk of earning less.

Do you have any resolutions for the new year?

Schöneberger: I will continue to work a lot because I want to get a few more things done in my life before it's out of my hands whether I'm still employed or not. That's why I'll probably be stepping on the gas again next year. Unfortunately, this entails other things that I would actually like to stop doing, namely: constantly moving at a running pace and always being "on the run". But as long as it doesn't stress me out, I'll keep it up for a while.

Are there things that you always resolve to do and then break?

Schöneberger: I do a lot of sport. To be honest, I go to the gym every free minute of my week. I already do that anyway. I always think to myself that I should be able to control my eating a little better. Now I've known for 50 years that I won't be able to do that, not even in 2024. And I'm having fun with my life.

What projects are on the agenda for the coming year?

Schöneberger: Everything will simply continue in the same way as this year: And then it's already full with "Denn sie wissen nicht, was passiert!", "Verstehen Sie Spaß?", the NDR talk show and the big events that are always coming up: Whether it's the "ESC" or the star nights for ORF and a few more galas. I also do radio every day, including my podcast. Then the year is simply already full.