Between the Secret Santa exchange in the dressing room and the “Friendsgiving” party at Radio City: This is how the Rockettes enjoy the holidays between the shows

There’s no better place than home (and Radio City Music Hall) for the holidays!

In a season often celebrated by spending time with loved ones at home, you may be wondering how the Rockettes of the Radio City Christmas Spectacular balance their personal and professional lives while their work revolves around the most festive Time of year turns.

In an exclusive interview with PEOPLE, three Rockettes — Britain Feeny, Alexis Payton and Jordan Betscher — detailed their vacation plan and explained how they’re making time for their friends and family while wowing the crowd that fills the iconic music venue to watch them perform from November to January – including appearances on Thanksgiving and Christmas.

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For Feeny, her “sense of home” comes from loved ones traveling from her native Toledo, Ohio, to be with her in New York City. “I’m very lucky to have my family come visit me during the holidays,” she says, although she notes they won’t be able to come to Thanksgiving this year.

However, the gap is filled by the familial “environment” that the Christmas Specular evokes. “We’re raising a family here,” says Feeny—and even though I won’t be able to see my family for Thanksgiving this year, they’re actually hosting a dinner upstairs in our large rehearsal room for the entire cast and crew.”

“We come and celebrate Thanksgiving together,” Feeny shares, although she says that because of the morning and evening lineup, it can be “difficult to get all 84” of the Rockettes together. Still, Payton says Friendsgiving at Radio City Music Hall is a “special” tradition they do “every year” to enjoy the holidays.

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“There’s a Friendsgiving, a potluck, something where everyone from the cast and crew can come to what we call our big rehearsal room and eat and celebrate together,” she explains. “It will definitely be our second home.”

They even make the most of their shows on Christmas Day because it’s the most wonderful time of the year! “A lot of people in their locker rooms will be doing Secret Santa and hanging out with their guys here,” Payton said. “This really becomes your family,” Feeny adds.

Betscher, who considers the Rockettes their “real sisters,” notes that they will also venture outside Radio City Music Hall to celebrate. “Maybe we pick a different apartment every week to have a little Friendsgiving or a little get-together… it’s really special,” she says.

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For the actual holiday, Payton’s family will join her in Manhattan. “Growing up, Thanksgiving and Christmas were the two big holidays I spent with my family – but they were great. They come over and see the show.”

Turkey Day will be a little different for Payton’s family as she will be making her debut in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade this year, appearing on the city streets in front of the famous flagship store on 34th Street in New York City.

“You’re actually going to see me perform,” Payton says excitedly. “The opportunity to have these new memories and create new memories with them makes it special and wonderful for me too,” she explains, noting that she will perform three more shows after the parade.

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For Betscher, attending the Radio City Christmas Spectacular is a family affair in more ways than one, as her sibling is also a Rockette! She says they’ve been “at it every year” since her sister joined the cast.

“I’m really grateful to have my sister with me during the holiday season,” Betcher says. “We actually live together so I can enjoy a little piece of home with my sister. My family is always with me.”

Betcher, who is in her eighth season playing Rockette, says she was actually “inspired” to pursue the dream by her sister. “She’s been a Rockette for 12 years. “I saw them for the first time when I was 16 years old and I just remember being in awe of the women on stage,” she recalls.

“They had so much strength, so much grace, and I knew I had to be up there one day,” Betcher says, explaining how she auditioned “a few years later” when she was 18. “(My sister) is actually here, still a Rockette – and last season we stood next to each other in line. It was really amazing.”

She concludes: “We literally supported each other and it was truly incredible.”