Christmas Party for Work

[~Jackie~ 30]

My work party is this Saturday. We will have a private room and catered food at a bowling alley. After dinner, we get to bowl 2 games. There will be be probably 40 people there, the sales staff, the office girls and the installers. Hightlight of the night: We get our Christmas bonuses that night during bowling!

The following Saturday, I am going to Chicago for dinner at either the Pump Room or Petterino's with a few of my coworkers. After dinner, we will walk on Michigan Ave and see the windows decorated at Macy's.

Then, we have another party in the store on the 20th with a gift exchange and food.

Have a great holiday ya'll.

Jackie

edited to add: Last years party didn't go all that well. This year, I am going solo. I'm gonna hug whomever I flippin want to hug.

Edited December 6, 2007 by just_Jackie

[Dr. A ♥ O 203]

I loved work Christmas Parties and would look forward to the festivities every year. Unfortunatly I don't work while going to college so no fun for me.

[onwa 6]

My work party is this Saturday. We will have a private room and catered food at a bowling alley. After dinner, we get to bowl 2 games. There will be be probably 40 people there, the sales staff, the office girls and the installers. Hightlight of the night: We get our Christmas bonuses that night during bowling!

The following Saturday, I am going to Chicago for dinner at either the Pump Room or Petterino's with a few of my coworkers. After dinner, we will walk on Michigan Ave and see the windows decorated at Macy's. Then, we have another party in the store on the 20th with a gift exchange and food.

Have a great holiday ya'll.

Jackie

edited to add: Last years party didn't go all that well. This year, I am going solo. I'm gonna hug whomever I flippin want to hug.

That sounds awesome! And have yourself a good hug-athon!

[Fandango 1,439]

I have to check a calendar as to when ours is, but it's always a big do...at the country club, all glammed up. I love it!

[sarah and hicham 3]

We're having a Christmas party at my boss' house and I am not really looking forward to it. I am going to be cooking dinner and dessert for 30 people so I decided I can do that, then tell everyone I'm too tired to stay and just go home. I pretty much hate everyone I have to work with with a couple of exceptions.

[Ms. Squirrel 11]

Worst experience was with my first permanent job, I was 21.

I was working for a big international Investment Bank as PA to the Head of one of the business units. For whatever reason my team (five people) were invited to fly to London to join the christmas party with our business unit, instead of joining the big Frankfurt one.

I was terribly excited (my first corporate christmas party!) and spent days sorting out my outfit. The party took place in a funky loft, with fine nibbles and lots of booze. Because I had been so excited, I didn't and couldn't eat all day. So I decided to stick to white wine spritzers and tried to grab as much finger food as possible, when the food girl walked past. Somehow, my London colleagues kept on bringing me new drinks, but no spritzers, just big glasses of white wine. And I just drank it.

As the party progressed, I started to learn what the English mean with letting their hair down. Everybody (including me) were absolutely hammered. 50 year old married Managing Directors were ripping their shirts off, dancing like there was no tomorrow, singing karaoke, with sweat dripping of their half naked bodies. One of the more senior guys was shagging a girl from his department in the bathroom. The other girls in my age were snogging each other, the music was loud, the food gone and I was right in the middle of it.

At 12am everyone decided to leave the party and go clubbing. I chose not to, I just wanted to crawl into my bed. My bosses boss, the Global Head of our buisness unit volunteered to walk me back to the hotel. We ended up in the hotel bar, drinking a beer which pretty much meant the end of me, after all the white wine on an empty stomach. Mr. Global Head (46 and married with children) even brought me all the way up to my room (how naive was I!), where he then tried to get into my pants and started snogging me. Luckily I was aware of what was happening and asked him how his kids were.

The next morning. I was still fully clothed, on my bed when housekeeping came it at 1pm and woke me up. I had the deadliest hang over (when your hands are shaking and your stomach is feeling awful). And I had to go to the office. When I got there, everybody had left to the pub already, only my German boss was there. He told me that both of us had been invited to the Christmas team lunch with Mr. Global Head and that he didn't understand why Mr. Global Head suddenly wanted us there.

So I had to spent all day with the office boozeheads (who were still drinking like there was no tomorrow) at a lunch, sitting right across from Mr. Global Head. The food, I am sure, was delicious but I could not touch it. Luckily 50% of my colleagues felt the same. It was really truly horrible.

This horrible day ended with soothing Gin Tonics and a Dirty Dancing DVD at my friend's house in London. Mr. Global Head called me a couple of times after that and apologized. Still it was sleazy.

That was a real experience and no German Christmas party I attended could ever top that. Needless to say that I learnt my lesson, too.

I work for a different bank now, where everyone is lovely. Unfortunately I can't join this years party because I am still at home sick.

[~Jackie~ 30]

I think I will hug everyone at least once just cuz I can.

J

[Otto 83]

I find them (office Christmas parties) to be very superficial (at best) - there's typically only a handful of individuals who really want to have them, the rest would be happy(er) with cash and time with their own friends/family.

The result.. a cheap way for companies to get out of truly showing any kind of appreciation by paying out bonuses, with a lunch/outing..

[Jasman0717 8]

Our group is going to a very expensive place for lunch. Unfortunately I have to miss it

[Ban Hammer 12,867]

I find them (office Christmas parties) to be very superficial (at best) - there's typically only a handful of individuals who really want to have them, the rest would be happy(er) with cash and time with their own friends/family.

The result.. a cheap way for companies to get out of truly showing any kind of appreciation by paying out bonuses, with a lunch/outing..

they are having an office party early next year, i said i would not attend.

[one...two...tree 2,762]

Worst experience was with my first permanent job, I was 21.

I was working for a big international Investment Bank as PA to the Head of one of the business units. For whatever reason my team (five people) were invited to fly to London to join the christmas party with our business unit, instead of joining the big Frankfurt one.

I was terribly excited (my first corporate christmas party!) and spent days sorting out my outfit. The party took place in a funky loft, with fine nibbles and lots of booze. Because I had been so excited, I didn't and couldn't eat all day. So I decided to stick to white wine spritzers and tried to grab as much finger food as possible, when the food girl walked past. Somehow, my London colleagues kept on bringing me new drinks, but no spritzers, just big glasses of white wine. And I just drank it.

As the party progressed, I started to learn what the English mean with letting their hair down. Everybody (including me) were absolutely hammered. 50 year old married Managing Directors were ripping their shirts off, dancing like there was no tomorrow, singing karaoke, with sweat dripping of their half naked bodies. One of the more senior guys was shagging a girl from his department in the bathroom. The other girls in my age were snogging each other, the music was loud, the food gone and I was right in the middle of it.

At 12am everyone decided to leave the party and go clubbing. I chose not to, I just wanted to crawl into my bed. My bosses boss, the Global Head of our buisness unit volunteered to walk me back to the hotel. We ended up in the hotel bar, drinking a beer which pretty much meant the end of me, after all the white wine on an empty stomach. Mr. Global Head (46 and married with children) even brought me all the way up to my room (how naive was I!), where he then tried to get into my pants and started snogging me. Luckily I was aware of what was happening and asked him how his kids were.

The next morning. I was still fully clothed, on my bed when housekeeping came it at 1pm and woke me up. I had the deadliest hang over (when your hands are shaking and your stomach is feeling awful). And I had to go to the office. When I got there, everybody had left to the pub already, only my German boss was there. He told me that both of us had been invited to the Christmas team lunch with Mr. Global Head and that he didn't understand why Mr. Global Head suddenly wanted us there.

So I had to spent all day with the office boozeheads (who were still drinking like there was no tomorrow) at a lunch, sitting right across from Mr. Global Head. The food, I am sure, was delicious but I could not touch it. Luckily 50% of my colleagues felt the same. It was really truly horrible.

This horrible day ended with soothing Gin Tonics and a Dirty Dancing DVD at my friend's house in London. Mr. Global Head called me a couple of times after that and apologized. Still it was sleazy.

That was a real experience and no German Christmas party I attended could ever top that. Needless to say that I learnt my lesson, too.

I work for a different bank now, where everyone is lovely. Unfortunately I can't join this years party because I am still at home sick.

I'm sorry that happened to you, Julie.

I find them (office Christmas parties) to be very superficial (at best) - there's typically only a handful of individuals who really want to have them, the rest would be happy(er) with cash and time with their own friends/family.

The result.. a cheap way for companies to get out of truly showing any kind of appreciation by paying out bonuses, with a lunch/outing..

they are having an office party early next year, i said i would not attend.

How many people would be attending? I don't think I could decline without it reflecting negatively on me...my company is too small and camaraderie is expected.

[~krakatoa~ 27]

We'll have our "Holiday Festivities Special" -that's the name of the event, next Friday. They sent out inter-office emails for attendance and they had us pre-select the main entrees, and our Canada and Japan employees will join us (their flight is on the weekend and they will stay in hotels). Three buses will pick us up at our facility and another three for the employees in the main HQ. Then we are to expect wine tasting, food, no hard drinks, and other activities. 15 of us are required to attend, inlcuding me so I'm more nervous than excited. I don't know what's going to happen. Everytime I ask around, everybody keeps mum about it.

[Ban Hammer 12,867]

they are having an office party early next year, i said i would not attend.

How many people would be attending? I don't think I could decline without it reflecting negatively on me...my company is too small and camaraderie is expected.

probably over 100, i won't be missed. nor do i care. they want to know who's gonna be there a month out from the party and imo that's nuts given the possibility of bad weather that day. the party is also after hours for me, so they can take their expected camaraderie and stuff it unless i'm getting overtime for attending. just because i work with them that does not mean i want to go to a party with them.

[JenAlex 0]

Ours was last weekend and it was a blast. Hosted bar, buffet table, a live band and lots of casino tables. The prizes were pretty good. My boss won an eight gig iPod Nano, bose docking system and $100 iTunes gift card. The "Grand Prize' for employees only was a $1000 gift certificate to any Ritz Carlton Hotel and a $700 Delta Airline voucher. How useful would that have been?

Next Thursday we are having our company gift exchange. We'll get our Christmas Bonus' then. Then the following Tuesday my department does a booze exchange. It's pretty fun.

[~Jackie~ 30]

Charles where is your holiday spirit?

Jackie