Dukey

Our department has the usual "pot luck" office party which I am certain many would find absolutely unacceptable.

We even do a gift exchange (how very old fashioned for those here of the "advanced" nature!)

And yes, someone always DOES bring green bean casserole and as much as everyone SAYS they can't stand it there is never any left over.

Everyone acts as if they are actually having a good time and are glad to be there; guess that's why we keep doing it.

cova

Kate, I´m running away to London this year.

It´s my second Christmas party in Madrid, and no way I am going back to that dreadful place out of town with bad "wedding dinner" food and difficult to reach by public transport (I´m not very fond of drink and driving).

I went last year, and the best part was going out afterwards in Malasaña and finding a place with live trance reggae music (sounds complicated, but it was good).

So, this year I booked a great Easyjet flight (70 euros return) and got tickets for "Swan Lake" at Saddler´s Wells. I´ll do my Christmas shopping in your town.

When I was working for the swedish ones, we had a great Christmas party one year. The Guggenheim had just opened, and we had lunch there and a guided tour of the museum afterwards. I truly enjoyed running along the Serra sculptures.

That Vinopolis options sounds pretty good. I would have loved to have done something at Lavinia in Madrid-

Rgds, Cova

mclaurie

How many are you and what ages? Do you like each other? Are partners invited? If not, could they be (would that make people happier to come)?

alanRow

< Due to the rabid PCness sweeping our country - we're no longer allowed Christmas parties. >

In my part of Scotland we have a department Christmas meal, then a company bash which includes food, drinks vouchers, live music & dancing till dawn.

Carrybean

Love the idea of the ugly ornament exchange. I'd probably vote for the night out in Brighton.

No Christmas staff parties here but I'm always included for Christmas dinner & pressies at my boss' house.

Kate

Anybody want a Christmas Party trip report?

Well, the do was yesterday. Started at 2pm with 20 of us stompng down to the Panto production of Dick Whittington at the Barbican, followed by cocktails at a brazilian bar near our office, followed by full slap up dinner, with crackers, secret sanata presents, oscars awards ceremony etc, at a restaurant called the Hoxton Apprentice (run by a celebrity chef called Prue Leith, it's been set up to provide top-quality catering training for deprived youngsters).

Lots of fun had by all. Almost as much fun as my client do the night before, where my client first tried offering me Coke, then took me to a gay bar and tried to snog me

Whoever said the British were uptight?

So common on, what did you all get up to in the end?

LJ

Dukey, I think we must work for the same firm. Did you have jellied salad made by the mother of the receptionist, too? Did people talk about their cats? Did everybody claim to be on a diet and then eat all the home-made cookies? Did the boss actually sound totally sincere when she thanked everyone for being such a great gang to work with?

I am thrilled to bits with the details of pantos, gay bars, plane tickets and champagne. But short of sharing my recipe for "Sex-in-a-Pan" , I just can't compete!

Cimbrone

Sex-in-a-pan????

Do tell!

LJ

Sorry, I am witholding that recipe for a bit--well, actually it is at home, but I need many more details of Christmas festivities more hedonistic than my own before I would dream of sharing such a treasured family "receipt" (my family is MUCH more interesting than my work colleagues!)

Cimbrone

Well, we had our "secret santa" gift exchange yesterday. The big drama was that someone was given a purse made out of purple denim shorts--encrusted with plastic rhinestones. The recipient said, "well, purple's not really my color." Feelings were hurt, and I later tried to explain to my friend who received this that, in these situations, one just pretends to be happy, no matter what they receive. (I know it's not as exciting as office-party snogging, but it's all I got...)

audere_est_facere

Well I went t this party where I tried to give this bint some lines of coke, and she wouldn't even come across when I tried to snog her.

Buggered if I'm going there again. Worst. Party. ever.

Kate

Do people take thier Secret Santa gifts seriously? Here it's just an excuse for causing embarrassment, ridicule and hilarity. So, the company accountant - an elderly single gentleman - was given a mug showing a scantilly clad woman. When you fill the mug with hot water, her clothes disappear. The IT girl was given edible panties.

I could go on.

Kate

audere, I thought you were a man?

Yes, it was even more scandalous than first described.

audere_est_facere

I am a bloke. I stand up for a pee and everything. I am also wating to go on my office jolly in a little while and have been getting into the festive spirit.

you should have hoovered her charlie. I would have.

ncgrrl

We had a catered luncheon for all employees. It was quite nice. Those with musical talent performed and then we returned to our desks and finished out the day.

walkinaround

>>>>>
Here in sunny olde england christmas is christmas and no one gives a stuff about Kwaanza or any of that other stuff. Everyone joins in and no one gets offended.
>>>>>

well, not really...

once again...america sneezes ...and you know the rest.

'the holidays' have a firm hold over here and getting stronger every year. and we dream up even sillier names....

'seasonal tree' is my favourite...many of them out this year in england.

i really don't care either way...but it's fun to watch the bickering.

and saying it doesn't happen here is telling porky pies.

Geordie

I had this years Office Xmas party down in Sydney, at the Town Hall.

It was in the theme of the Oscar Presentations and it was ok.

A few years ago we had to buy a gift for a fellow worker. One of my female colleagues had to buy for a 65 year old guy and I thought it was pretty clever what she came up with.

We used to sell a network product called a "MainLan Extension Pack" so she renamed the Package "MainMan Extension Pack" and included in it, a Playboy magazine and a bottle of whisky.

You'd have thought he'd won the lottery!

Geordie

jules4je7

My office has a party, I always skip it, because there is nothing more nightmarish than drinking with my co-workers, watching at least one get out of control.

I think I'd rather sneak off to smooch with Ira in a broom closet just so I could brag to the Fodors board that I'd done it, and explain it to my DH later when he was in a forgiving mood.

Jules
In Denver, under 3 feet of snow on the North Side, 2 feet on the South.

kasperdoggie

I used to hate holiday parties (working for a massive company, it was beyond PC and boring) but now that I am at a small and sharp startup, things are looking up... Company based in South Florida, so they flew all of us from LA, Boston, NYC and London, together with spouses/significant others for 1 night in South Beach, Miami. Drinks and food by the pool, then the shebang moved over to the lounge in the hotel... Needless to say much drink was taken, dancing ensued - overall it turned out to be a great deal of fun. It helps that an average age of employees is probably around 30, with a small standard deviation, and everyone was up for a bit of good time...

flybob

Bah Humbug. Parties normally are a nightmare, drunks who think they are funny, secretaries who are drunk, bosses who are suddenly your best friend, mediocre food. Hey i work with them fine BUT i socialise with friends and family