Holiday Celebrations in the office
 

Does anyone here participate with office celebrations?

Has there been times when things in the office have gone very right or....very wrong?

Please do share.

One of my stories is that I remember one year in a place I worked, I started a secret Santa exchange. It went wrong because for everone's list I was getting back, each person was asking for a gift card and BTW the dollar amount was 25 dollars. I pulled the whole group together and told them that they have to redo their list because to ask for a gift card was just as good as someone pulling out cash and exchanging cash and that if they couldn't think of things that they wanted from the particular place that they wanted it from, then don't participate! All the needed to do was think of three things that either equaled up to 25 dollars or three things that was 25 dollars each (they would get one of them) and that would mean more than simply getting a gift card.

Hehe...well you know some people got pissed at me...so a few days later, some of them got back to me with lists and in the end when it was all said and done, it worked out a lot better for those that partook and then the following year, everyone including those that missed out joined in.

So what do you have?

Who got the Boss a prank gift?

Who got drunk at the office party?

Who brought the wierd food to the potluck that didn't get eaten?

Share your tales.

My previous job was working in an office with a lot of other people my age- young, couple years out of school, new to the area. The company as a whole had a VERY social atmosphoere (ex-employees refer to it as a cult lol). We had a going away party for one of our admins at Dave and Busters. One of the account managers (who is married with 2 kids, but is only in his late 20s and therefore drinks like he is single) got so drunk, he handed his wife his wedding ring and said "don't wait up, **** and I have a bet on who can bring a girl home first."

Needless to say, his wife was not very pleased.

hahaha

I hate office holiday celebrations.

http://www.80stees.com/images/produc...chy-T-link.jpg

I've worked in a couple of offices where alcohol was served during the holiday parties. There's always been one person who drank too much and made a fool of themselves.

Other than that, though, there haven't been any dramatic moments.

the little old lady admin. asst. got wasted off rum cake one year.

It was rum cake that had rum added for "flavor" after it was made, like on the top. She had three or four really big slices, couldn't talk straight, and was all red in the face.

That was my first year and nothing interesting at all has happened since, except that no booze from now on, as our office is kind of far out from places and no one wants anyone to get hurt.

My not-so-stable unit member (who just returned from a three month 'leave of absence') did something really tacky last year. In her previous unit, they did the secret santa thing. For her person, she literally wrote her an IOU note. She will be drop kicked if she does that this year.

And to top it off, at my job, we HAVE to go. :mad:

We had a gift exchange at my old office. One of my co-workers was somewhat clueless and very fundamentalist Christian; well he pulled the name of our administrator and he bought her a really pretty christmas ornament with the nativity on it. The only problem? She is Jewish.

I'm not sure what ever happened to the ornament, but I do know that the managers went in together and bought her something else.

My job had Thanksgiving dinner a couple weeks ago (why so long ago, I don't know). I work overnights, so they left some down in the kitchen for us, but only till midnight so that the kitchen staff who was serving could pack up and go home. Well, they let us take home whatever was left and the supervisor took an ENTIRE tray of pulled pork before anyone could even touch it. We knew she had a habit of doing that so we tried to get there early before she was able to disappear with everything, but she got that one before anybody could flinch. Granted, it was pulled pork (blech) but still...

i HATE that!!!!

UGH!

Last year, at the company holiday party, the CEO got up and spoke about how business was hurting. He then swore up, down, and sideways that there wouldn't be any layoffs. This was in late December.

What happened in early January? Layoffs.

The layoffs had to have been in the works at the time of the party. Lying scumbag CEO... :mad:

Booooooo

Our holiday parties are AWESOME...too bad I'm skipping out on it this year. I have a good friend's wedding in New Orleans that weekend.

Ditto...despite the fact that financial markets are isht, my company still puts on a great Christmas party. And yup, they call it a "Christmas" party, not a holiday or winter party. Oh well. The year is still 1955 where I work.l

This year we won't be having a regular holiday potluck :( Only a dessert exchange.

But this is due to the employee lounge with a kitchen being under renovation and not due to budget cuts or anything like that.

I do not know if to bring brownies or pumpkin pie. Eating too many of my baked goods caused me to gain too much weight recently- though I have lost 1 1/2 pounds since I noticed and cut back.

Our office holiday party is always cool. Last year my group went to a restaurant and got to help prepare a six-course meal with some very well-known Seattle chefs, complete with a recipe book to take home with us. The year before, we had dinner and drinks at one of Seattle's best restaurants. And every year, our office rents out a bar and hires a band. I love advertising!

Time for wheelchair races and bedpan horseshoes here at the concrete m*a*s*h. happy whatever-it-is-you-celebrate!

What is the best and worst secret santa gift you guys have received? Our holiday party is next week, and I'm not sure what to get. Would you recommend a gift card even though that is SO unimaginative? We have a $25 limit...

^^^ To be honest, I hate gifts ofter than gift cards. A person would have to REALLLLLLY know me to get me a gift I'd appreciate, such as the old school Alpha cardigan from simplygreek that I've been dropping hints on for two years.

All I want from coworkers -- from anybody, really -- is gift cards to Borders Books & music.

That way, you also aren't getting them something that junks up their house.

I'm beginning to hate gift exchanges with the passion of a trillion fiery suns. We do a family gift exchange that I think is the scourge of Satan. My work exchange I actually prefer, because the people really think about me and what I want. Meanwhile, our family exchange is just me getting gifts for people who don't even acknowledge them (I don't necessarily need a thank-you note, just some confirmation that the package I sent your stupid ass got to you), and me getting gifts that I'd rather just throw away or leave at my parents' house.

Since I live in the Northeast and most of my family lives in the sunbelt, I end up getting a lot of inappropriate winter gear. Hey, that 12" long scarf really won't work. Neither will the cotton summerweight gloves. Thanks a million!

What do I want? A lot of things--people could just ask me.

Yeah...what Sen I said....well, I am in charge of Secret Santa in my office and what I requested that everyone do is to list 3 items that they would like (I had to compromise and let everyone request ONE giftcard) and their Secret Satan could get those items listed up to the limit.

Of course people running to me asking what should they ask for, and I said, think of that DVD or CD or book or what have you that you have been procrastrinating on and use your imagination!

Hehe...somebody remind me to revisit the final result next week please.

Please tell me this was a Freudian slip lol

nah....intentional...hehehe

Thank GOD I haven't had to be a part of many of those. I remember one with my family where I got a bottle of Clinique Happy. However, it didn't smell the same as when I tried it on in the store. *shrug* I exchanged it and used the credit toward Amarige instead; I was still happy in the end.

The worst.... We had a limit of $10 in an offfice gift exchange. I made it easy and asked for a gift card from Caribou Coffee, Barnes and Noble, or Target. This chick got me a broke down gift basket with a metallic green coffee mug, cheap candy, and... a $25 gift certificate to buy one of her gift baskets. *blink, blink* She gave me the gift of supporting her business; most of her baskets were $35 and up.

Worst part of all: I kinda collect coffee mugs for fun. I have no idea where that tacky metallic mug is, and I don't care.

Did you work somewhere in MA? I, too, worked somewhere where we were called cult-ish.:confused:

Ours is tomorrow. It's just a potluck luncheon in our building, with main dishes catered by our cafeteria (which is a contractor who really sucks and who is being ousted Dec. 31st so we're all a bit nervous about daring to eat that food!). They have a dessert contest and last year, 2 of the 3 judges didn't like chocolate so gourmet homemade truffles and the most amazing chocolate/amaretto cheesecake didn't win anything but banana pudding with bananas and nilla wafers did.. ridiculous! The best part is that they let us leave right after the luncheon. Excellent timing since I can pick up my new car tomorrow :)

When I first started at my job I was nervous about the gift grab (my work place gets mean and nasty during the gift exchange). You bring a wrapped gift, and open it, someone can steal it, and that is where it gets ridiculous. I brought a folding camp chair because it was a gift without age or gender issues the first year, the second year I bought an ornament organizer box, and this year I want to bring either a jug or wine or a remote control fart machine and not put my name on it. I can just watch these people act crazy and see who gets the 25 foot remote control fart machine, or a jug of Carlo Rossi.

I did end up with a bottle of champagne my first year, the second year I can't remember so it must have been super lame. Gift cards are the awesome.

My office was in North Carolina, but it is an international company and has offices in MA- the manager of my office actually transferred from a Boston office.

One year I worked in an office where the minimum limit was $20.00. That year I got a calendar they probably got at the dollar store and a jump drive they probably got for free at a vendor show. All in all this person probably spent $1.00. :rolleyes: When I opened my gift and saw it, I was like b*%$h why did you even bother? If they did not want to get me anything, just slap a 20 in an envelope and say Merry Christmas and be done with it.

Yes I would if you really don't know what the person would like. Or, one year I pulled a guy's name and I knew he loved all things Mac so I got him a gift card to the Apple store. He loved it.

I missed that part after reliving that gift exchange misery. It's only unimaginative if you run into Walmart or Target and give a card. There's no thought in that unless you know that person LOVES those stores. It would be nifty if a card was purchased from a place that you know the receipient loves, ie Barnes & Noble, Sephora, Caribou Coffee, or Apple Store like Soror sigmadiva said.

Someone just mentioned a company potluck Christmas party. That's a decent idea for a company party, but it comes off badly when the employees are supposed to pay $10 per person to bring dishes to someone's community clubhouse like at a friend's job. How are you really gonna make me PAY to bring stuff? My friend didn't mention alcohol, etc. being supplied by the company *smh*

haha--it's unanimous! I'll go with a gift card. Now, I just need to figure out which store to choose..

ETA: thanks for the insight!

:) My boss gets all the employees Borders gift cards. Best gift ever. I stay in Borders.

We're getting A Chick-fil-a biscuit, A fruit cup, and something else. That's our Christmas celebration and gift. Far cry from last year's breakfast smorgasboard followed by a great movie and popcorn and soda (yes, immediately after breakfast). Honestly, I'd rather get a Barnes & Noble gift card or $5 on my check.

Bah Humbug!

Whew...we survived our Secret Santa exchange...too bad some people can't follow directions and leave gifts ANONYMOUS, thus "Secret" Santa!

i wish i was at my old job. they straight up PARTIED on a regular basis (under the guise of entertaining clients or strengthening partnerships)... then they went all out for the holiday parties.

one year the official party was weekday brunch cruise on the spirit of washington, then my unit had an afterparty next door to a club called H2O (at 2 in the afternoon!), then we all went back to the office to work for a few hours and went out AGAIN for dinner and drinks. i think the only money i spent that day was for the metro ride.

fast forward 3 years... today, my holiday party was a dessert bar complete with punch, sheet cake, and a fruit platter @ $6 per person.