Christmas Parties

Does your employer or company have an annual Christmas party?

  • Total voters
    51
  • Poll closed .
SkyDog58 said:
The airline I worked for many years ago usually had a holiday party. One year, a pilot bent a stew over a railing and gave her some stick time. I missed that event but I heard it was a short show.
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That was going to be my story. I was there. But I heard it was just her date, not a pilot... deflate egos, you all. Then again, maybe it was, 'cause it was over pretty quickly...
 
Zeldman said:
I don't attend holiday parties and I will say so. Its Christmas party or I stay home.

Happy holidays was started by the commies....
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I once felt the same way. At the time I was working for a small company with a nearly 100% Christian work force, just because of where we were located and the industry and all. Not a lot of diversity, which was fine... it's not like it was done on purpose. So a Christmas party made sense. But, now I work with a significant number of non-Christians. Muslims, Jews, Hindus (lots of them), the odd Shinto or Baha'i or atheist or what have you. If you're going to have a party for the employees, why not include them all?
 
Our company had a Christmas party every year up until last year when the O&G market was in the dumps. They usually had a few grand worth of raffle/door prizes (gaming consoles, flat screen tvs, restaurant gift cards, iPods, etc.) and rented out a hotel ballroom or two for dinner and a few drinks. It had a different theme each year (western, poker night, roaring 20s, etc.) as well. We always had fun for a bit, but I never won any of the big prizes. We won't have one for this year, either, but if the market keeps trending upward, we'll likely bring it back for next year. It's normally a $15-20K expense at a minimum for just our location of 150 employees or so. The Chesapeake holiday parties are a sigh to behold in OKC. Live bands, extremely high-dollar gifts (vacations, cash gifts), employees put up in the hotel rooms. Their employees always look forward to it.
 
GlennAB1 said:
That was going to be my story. I was there. But I heard it was just her date, not a pilot... deflate egos, you all. Then again, maybe it was, 'cause it was over pretty quickly...
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I missed the party that year so I missed the show. But as I wrote, I heard it was a short show so I just assumed it was one of the pilots. :cool:

In my 15 years there, I think I went to 2 holiday parties and 1 picnic. I never did socialize much with the folks there even though I did like a large number of them.
 
I went to one at my sales job and was almost forced to win a sailboat the owner was trying to get rid of. For good reason, the thing was in awful shape and i lived in an apartment. And had nothing to tow it with anyway!
 
I said yes even though I sold my company. But when I did own it, we always had a company Christmas party and the new owners are continuing the tradition, and I am always invited.

Our Christmas parties were not held at real expensive places. In fact, I often held them at my house. (I never had more than 25 employees, so including spouses, the most we ever had attend was around 40 people. But we gave generous Christmas bonuses at the party, as well as individualized presents, including presents for the guests. We paid for all food and drink.

And while we always called it a "Christmas" party, we were always conscientious of our non-Christian employees and included them in the good wishes. And it was a good opportunity for me to meet the families of my employees and let them know how much I valued their spouse (or whatever relation). In fact, that was how I spent most of my time at the parties. Making employees feel valued and proud pays dividends far in excess of the cost of any party.
 
Zeldman said:
I don't attend holiday parties and I will say so. Its Christmas party or I stay home.

Happy holidays was started by the commies....
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The only time I accepted "Have a nice holiday" was from a Jewish customer who treated me better at Christmas time than my boss did.
 
My Christmas party is Dec 24th every year with everyone watching Christmas Vacation, one of the best. My son knows and says every line from that movie, and his friends call him Clark.
 
SkyDog58 said:
The airline I worked for many years ago usually had a holiday party. One year, a pilot bent a stew over a railing and gave her some stick time. I missed that event but I heard it was a short show.
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That's why the pilots never go, that and having to work. They call us don't call us "minutemen" just for the hell of it you know!
 
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Norman said:
The only time I accepted "Have a nice holiday" was from a Jewish customer who treated me better at Christmas time than my boss did.
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None of my Jewish friends have ever said "Happy Holiday" to me. They have always "Merry Christmas". Just as I would say "Happy Hanukkah" to them if I knew they were Jewish.
 
JOhnH said:
None of my Jewish friends have ever said "Happy Holiday" to me. They have always "Merry Christmas". Just as I would say "Happy Hanukkah" to them if I knew they were Jewish.
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Same here. Some of my best coworkers and friends are Jewish.
 
I prefer to call it a Winter Solstice party. All that red and green and decorated trees? Not mentioned in the bible! It was a pagan holiday.

It was stolen by the Christians. We pagans had it first!
 
I don't think it's in the spirit of the holidays, whether your holiday is Christmas or something else, to refuse to respond, or pointedly say something else, when people wish you a Happy Holiday. I was taught to do this as a child (back in the 60s, I'm no millennial) because we knew people of many faiths, some of whom didn't celebrate Christmas, and many whose faiths I could not determine.
 
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mscard88 said:
My Christmas party is Dec 24th every year with everyone watching Christmas Vacation, one of the best. My son knows and says every line from that movie, and his friends call him Clark.
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Wouldn't be the holiday season without a hearty, "****er's full!" from Cousin Eddie.
 
We had our Christmas party last Saturday, was a nice time. Lots of food, a cocoa bar and bowling. I got a lane and a ball for our two year old. She wanted to bowl do I made it happen. I of course found a ball and bowled with her for almost four frames until my back gave out! Now I had to spend the rest of the weekend laying down, went to the doctor today and got some meds. It is finals week for my students so I have to make it work. I have another faculty member proctoring my pare tests tomorrow. At least I got to drink about six beers before my back went out. Good times!
 
kayoh190 said:
I'm sure my company has all sorts of departments that throw Christmas parties, but I can guarantee the pilots aren't invited. :)
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And all this time I thought it was engineers that carried that stigma. :D
 
Personally, I prefer to be greeted with "Happy Festivus".

The first year I worked at my current employer, they had a nice event at a restaurant. People were bad about RSVPing and not showing, so they changed it to a lunch in our warehouse. It was catered by a Cajun chef, they had a pianist and door prizes, it was a really nice event and I think everyone liked it better than the restaurant gig. Then we got bought by a leveraged buyout group, it got downsized to a dessert buffet. After that, we got bought by another leveraged buyout group who blew up the company's finances and did nothing at the holidays, even our $25 grocery store gift card "bonuses" were nixed. Now we do departmental stuff. I was asked to organize it for our department this year. We're going to a Vietnamese restaurant for some pho, and then going up to K1 Speed for some indoor karting. Yeah baby!
 
Cavorter said:
I prefer to call it a Winter Solstice party. All that red and green and decorated trees? Not mentioned in the bible! It was a pagan holiday.

It was stolen by the Christians. We pagans had it first!
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Yeah, yeah, yeah. Pxss and moan. Pxss and moan.
We won, you lost, get over it.

On a happier note, tomorrow I'm going to a Christmas party with a bunch of guys I worked with 43 years ago, when I first got out of the Air Force.
Should be a hoot.
 
The company I work for has a holiday party called, "Festival of LIghts." Which is pretty amusing as we have a lot of Asian Indian folks working in this company, so they think of "Diwali" when you say Festival of Lights. So instead, the party became a "Celebrate the Season" party. Not sure why we ignore the other 3 Seasons and only celebrate this one. But alas, it doesn't much matter as the amount of work keeps me chained at the desk, so I rarely make it to such parties. And I'm not even an Engineer!

Though the company handbook does explicitly prohibit me from flying a private aircraft to work or company functions. Not that I needed to. Just saying.

But yes, the company provides a nice celebration for the last half of the day, and they do a nice job of it. I've seen pictures that other coworkers show me as I continue working at my desk. :p
 
It's a party! Who cares what word comes before "party"? It's a time to join together for fun and celebration! I know jews and muslims who agree with me!
 
Cavorter said:
I prefer to call it a Winter Solstice party. All that red and green and decorated trees? Not mentioned in the bible! It was a pagan holiday.

It was stolen by the Christians. We pagans had it first!
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It's been 2000 years. Get over it.
 
Fearless Tower said:
Being as I'm self-employed this year, I get to make the call.

I think I'll sign everyone up for the Jelly of the Month club.
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At least give them enough for their pool... plus 20%.

My wife's company has had nice Christmas parties. The first one I attended was at the Biltmore in downtown Atl. Food, booze, a great band, photobooth, you name it. I had a great time.

She's worked at a new company for the last two years. A younger, "outgoing," millenial bunch is a fair description of 90% of the employees. We didn't attend either of the two they held. No thanks to childish behavior and weed. We ain't got time fo' that.
 
GRG55 said:
And all this time I thought it was engineers that carried that stigma. :D
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Engineers are too busy, fixing the problems the business people created, to party.
 
Everskyward said:
I don't think it's in the spirit of the holidays, whether your holiday is Christmas or something else, to refuse to respond, or pointedly say something else, when people wish you a Happy Holiday. I was taught to do this as a child (back in the 60s, I'm no millennial) because we knew people of many faiths, some of whom didn't celebrate Christmas, and many whose faiths I could not determine.
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Political correctness has been around for a long time.
 
Shepherd said:
On a happier note, tomorrow I'm going to a Christmas party with a bunch of guys I worked with 43 years ago, when I first got out of the Air Force.
Should be a hoot.
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Sounds awesome. Need someone to hold on to the bail money? ;)

rtk11 said:
Though the company handbook does explicitly prohibit me from flying a private aircraft to work or company functions. Not that I needed to. Just saying.
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See... these kinds of poorly worded rules just dare me to do things.

If you can't arrive in a private aircraft, find the local *commerical* helicopter company and rent a ride to the party in that.

It'll really **** off the lawyers once they realize their mistake. ;)

It's too bad my old company didn't have that one written like that somewhere when the relationship between the new parent company and we-who-were-acquired was going sour.

One of the party locations had a helipad. Damn.

I'm sure I could've found plenty of volunteers to share that charter flight across town for 20 minutes. Heh. Maybe even a flight back afterward.

paflyer said:
Engineers are too busy, fixing the problems the business people created, to party.
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Hmmm. I've missed at least a portion of one Christmas party fixing a well known mess.

I shouldn't explain how I got even with that guy.

You mess with me, that's one thing. You mess up my wife's holiday evening out? Oh... buddy... you'd better be begging for mercy and it still isn't going to be pretty.
 
FormerHangie said:
Personally, I prefer to be greeted with "Happy Festivus".
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I prefer to say, "Happy Hogmanay". It's even more fun when people accuse me of invoking a "made up" holiday.

Ron "First Foot" Wanttaja
 
Our Christmas parties have to be held at hotels. Because people get too blasted to drive, so they need to be able to take the elevator upstairs to sleep it off... assuming they make it out from under the tables. This year I hear was pretty mellow aside from one dude being held up like a trophy deer after he passed out. And the one guy whose wife walked away for 5 minutes then came back to her husband with lipstick down both sides of his head from another guy's wife. Which, compared to last year's sharpie facial art, fighting over women, tears in the bathroom, sleeping in a urinal, depraved sex acts that people walked in on, and the local police agency showing up and expressing a willingness to begin the symphony of the batons.... all in all, pretty quiet.

Now that I'm no longer a single man and wish to retain my current relationship status, I avoid those things at all costs.
 
We put up ten Christmas trees in the main hallway at the college, all the departments got a tree to decorate do I made my students make ornaments to decorate it. They did well but we only got third place. I also had to make a trophy for the winner. Thus summer we had a cardboard boat race at a local lake, I made a trophy for that event. I guess I am the trophy maker from now on.
Our last day is this Thursday, we have a byob party in the library at four o'clock. This one could get interesting!
 
Acrodustertoo said:
Our last day is this Thursday, we have a byob party in the library at four o'clock. This one could get interesting!
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Library? Booze in the library. Uh oh. Always wanted to do a librarian in the library. "we need a clean up in the Bio aisle", I can see it now...

Why the library?
 
Everskyward said:
Yup, and under its other name, courtesy is a good thing.
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I raise my eyebrows at the irony of people who get offended by "Happy Holidays." I don't really care what people tell me... Happy holidays, Merry Christmas, Have a great day... whatever. If they are saying it with a sincere smile on their face and warmth in their voice, then it's a genuine and kind sentiment. We need more of those in the world.
 
Everskyward said:
Yup, and under its other name, courtesy is a good thing.
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You know what the "courteous" response from an atheist to a Christian's greeting of "Merry Christmas" is? "Merry Christmas to you too".

You know what the "PC" response is? " How dare you! I don't believe in your "Sky Friend" and I have been offended. The ACLU will be in touch."
 
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paflyer said:
You know what the "courteous" response from an atheist to a Christian's greeting of "Merry Cristmas" is? "Merry Christmas to you too"

You know what the "PC" response is? " How dare you! I don't believe in your "Sky Friend" and I have been offended. The ACLU will be in touch."
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Of course I know that and it's what I posted earlier in the thread. The militantly non-PC people are just as bad when they answer "Merry Christmas!!!" in a pointed way, when someone greets them with "Happy Holidays" or something else.
 
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Every year people gets their panties all wadded up over holiday greetings. It's ridiculous. I am atheist and if I do choose to initiate a holiday greeting, I will say "happy holidays". However if I am responding to someone telling me "merry christmas", I am more likely to respond with "merry christmas" than I am not to. The exception would be if the person is a known hard core militant type christian then I will respond with "happy holidays" just to see the response it elicits. I personally do not get offended by a christmas greeting and I find it odd that people would be offended by a holiday greeting.
 
DaleB said:
I once felt the same way. At the time I was working for a small company with a nearly 100% Christian work force, just because of where we were located and the industry and all. Not a lot of diversity, which was fine... it's not like it was done on purpose. So a Christmas party made sense. But, now I work with a significant number of non-Christians. Muslims, Jews, Hindus (lots of them), the odd Shinto or Baha'i or atheist or what have you. If you're going to have a party for the employees, why not include them all?
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They are all welcome to my Christmas party.
 
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