Fun killers

[emilybrontescorsett]

Sorry didn’t know what else to call the thread. Someone at work suggested doing a Secret Santa. We are not having the usual works do or the usual fun competition we have, neither are we doing Christmas jumper day. We have worked throughout lockdown. Most people were on board until someone suggested instead of secret Santa let’s all donate this money to charity. Then the next person said let’s all put the money we would collect for jumper day to charity ie don’t wear a Christmas jumper but pay to come into work 😫
This then escalated to putting the money we would spend on a Christmas meal/ night out to a charity too.
I’m not doing it.
I’ve worked my arse off during lockdown. It’s cost me far more to get to work as I’ve had to change location and now this.
Can’t people just try and let others have a simple pleasure through secret Santa?
Does it always have to end in virtue signalling, lots of colleagues husbands/wives have lost their jobs due to covid so I think it’s insensitive to start pressurising people to donate to charity.
Now there’s a bloody link to donate too, plus a link to donating toys instead of Secret Santa.
Maybe it’s me but why can’t people just stop with all this fun killing attitude.
Of course if you want to donate your months salary to a charity crack on.
It’s just I don’t think they should hijack the original idea.

Secret Santa is a bunch of people who work together but often don't know each other very well spending time, money and effort on buying a gift that may not be well received because the person doing the buying has no clue what would be appropriate. The only people doing well out of this is retailers of tat and wrapping paper and hopefully the tax collector. It's never a SIMPLE pleasure. I'd happily buy a toy for a child that doesn't have many over a piece of tat for an adult who may bin it instead of going to the charity shop.

If you already own a Christmas jumper, then why not wear it to the office anyway. If you don't have one, and I wouldn't be seen dead in one, then you are saving money on not having to buy one.

Things are very tough for people this year, count your blessings you have a job. You absolutely don't have to contribute to the work selected charity - just a one liner - "at this time of the year I alway support XYZ charity so please count me out for this one"

Buy yourself a bottle of something sparkly and have a nice night in, a fun party for one, or two

Merry Christmas

A bit off topic but why can't you have Christmas jumper day? I don't really understand it, are you work stopping you? I think I would wear a range of Christmas jumpers on everyday in December if someone told me I couldn't! Cannyou organize fun things to do with friends even if it doesn't have to include all the fun sponges.

I agree OP, we really need some fun this year. There's nothing to stop people donating to charities privately, but what you describe sounds like virtue signalling. Perhaps you could organise a mini Secret Santa just for those who want to join in?

OP this is just life now. Someone suggest a silly secret Santa game of no more than £10. The next minute you’ve collectively donated a goat through Oxfam.

Can’t people just try and let others have a simple pleasure through secret Santa

But secret santa isn't a simple pleasure, why is it OK to pressure people into exchanging unnecessary gifts with people who could just buy their own bits and pieces if they wanted them but not suggest a charitable donation?

For everyone who gets a nice gift, there's those who get overlooked for whatever reason, get tat valued way below the agreed budget or those who feel pressured into joining in against their will.

People should be free to do whatever they feel happy with. Fine for secret santa for those who want to, but also let others opt out if they prefer. Fine to let people donate to charity if that's what they prefer. For those who've managed to keep their job this year and receive their normal pay, they've been very fortunate and they may wish to pay it forward to help others.

Nobody is pressuring anybody to do anything either say yes or no it’s quite simple.
What I don’t like is the virtue signalling of asking instead to donate your money to x or y. Again that is fine do that just set up a separate chat/ page for that.
I don’t have any problem with whatever someone does. What I do object to is tagging it on to the back of Secret Santa/ a night out or whatever.
If someone wants to sit in for their entire holidays and eat beans on toast for Christmas Day and see nobody and speak to nobody that’s fine by me.
What I don’t agree with is telling others how lucky they are to have a job or have a family etc etc.
There will be plenty of posters moaning about how their oh doesn’t help with the endless preparations for Christmas and it’s usually those same posters who tell others they should be thankful they aren’t starving to death in Africa.

Secret Santa is opt-in at my work. We have a couple of fun hoovers who have tried that sort of thing before instead of just not taking part. They are over-ruled, thankfully.

The only one of those things I'd do is the toy donation.