Work Christmas Parties

[WatermelonKiwi]

Talk turned to planning our Christmas lunch today in the office. What's the best work Christmas lunch/party you've ever been to? Where was it and why was it so good?

Looking for ideas!

At home on teams for 30 minutes. That was torture enough.

I'm sure i'm not the only one who detests these events.

So i guess the best event if there had to be one, is one where people aren't expected or mandated to attend.

Finding out it has been cancelled due to covid and getting a refund on all the clothes I'd bought to wear

i used to absolutely love going to my ex’s Christmas parties with him when we were together. The company he worked for hired a function room at a hotel, set a black tie dress code, paid for a band and later a DJ, paid for a gorgeous three course dinner and a free bar, plus hotel rooms for anyone would could stay and taxis for anyone who couldn’t (within reason!). It was all four branches so a good number of people and it was always just the most fun!

I think the best one was when nothing official was organised and a few of us just went to a restaurant we liked and ordered a la carte!

All the official ones have been disappointing - mass-cooked crap food ruins it, even if the menu looks good on paper. Often loud music blaring out and destroying any chance of talking.

It has to be either something like this or nothing at all, because going to the local pub to eat dry turkey and sit beside Linda from Accounts who you have zero in common with is just torture 😖

I just don't go to them as
I don't do work things when they are not in working hours.

I dont go on them, especially if the word "disco" is involved. Crap entertainment and crap food, which you normally have to pay a contribution towards. Bah Humbug. Also far too early to be mentioning the C word 😝

When I worked in a school they were crap and I stopped going. Obviously we had to pay for ourselves but the food was dreadful and the disco was embarrassing, abba, the Nolan’s, all cheesy crap that I can’t stand.
Work elsewhere now and we have a ‘staff conference’ day which in reality consists of a late start, an hour and a half of work stuff and then a lunch, all paid for with wine (only 2 glasses but still!), the food is exceptional and with a very creative menu, and an early finish so we can all decamp to the pub next door at 2pm - brilliant! All done on work time. The managers come to the pub, each of them buy a round and then they go after a couple of hours so the rest of us can enjoy ourselves without them being around.

I don't do work socials but I feel you have to suck up the Christmas do. The best was a free boozy lunch in a hotel, excellent food and we mostly went home at 3pm. Some went on to a pub. So still in work hours, not your personal time. The worst was forced frivolity in a noisy sports bar, filled with drunk letching men, trapped at a long table, being interrogated about my personal life by the office sociopath beside me, food was greasy platters (I really really don't like other people's fingers in the food), overpriced booze, a nuisance split bill, and a hassle to get home as dodgy part of town. Waste of a Friday night.

We usually hire a function room, smart dress code, decent food and all of the Christmas cheesy classics blaring out. Oh, and lots of free booze!
It helps as we all tend to get on and socialise together throughout the year so the Christmas do is just a damn good party with people I know very well at the end of the year.

Oh and mn is the worst place to ask about a Christmas do. Most people haven't socialised with their colleagues since about 1987😉

So true. Heaven forbid people go out and enjoy themselves.

In 2 weeks the nights start drawing in, so it's a good time to start thinking about Christmas and plans for the winter. Which reminds me, I must get the boiler serviced and order some wood for the log burner.

When I was younger - I loved the huge gatherings at a nice exclusively hired venue with booze on tap

More recently, had the most lovely meal with just four of us as the rest of the team all made various excuses. We didn't even drink just had a lovely chat

I did kind of regret the post after receiving the first 2 replies 🤣

Best ones are where there's no expectation to actually go.

In an old job - each department was given an afternoon and had lunch in a local restaurant and then either drinks or home early.

@WatermelonKiwi

well, tbf, most of us would like a bit of summer before gabbing about Christmas and there is a Christmas Topic for everyone who wants to discuss Christmas all year 🤷🏻‍♀️🤷🏻‍♀️

I HATE works Christmas parties, and do anything I can to avoid them. Loathe people who are nobs or b*tches to you at work, then go all nice when they're pissed at the party.

Never been to a 'best' one!

Haven't been to one in a decade. (Am now self employed.) Do people really still have them?

Well yeah this. ^ It's only early June!

This is what my company does. We have 200+ employees (not that everyone attends) so it must cost a bomb but they're always a good laugh.
We have one main office but loads of remote workers who we speak to daily but don't see often so it's nice to catch up properly with people.
They're always on a Saturday night, 7pm-12am, including a three course meal, prosecco on arrival and a free bar for the night (doesn't include shots or cocktails though).

@AmelieTaylor if you didn't want to discuss Christmas before summer arrived then you didn't have to click on the post!

I quite like a Xmas lunch in work time where you don't have to go back to the office afterwards. So everyone can have a meal together, those who want to can carry on (drinking) and those who don't can go home.

Evening dos aren't always so well attended as it's an expectation of doing something'work' in your personal time. Plus people often have commitments in the evening like childcare.

A trip to a Spanish tapas restaurant arranged two days beforehand so it was a 5.30pm booking. Last minute so only 10 of us managed it. We had the table for 2 hours then had to move to the bar. Relaxed, boozy, Christmas tapas menu (same price for everyone) so no one had to order anything and it worked well.

Worst ones were the bring a party to a party nights. I just refuse to do those now.

I used to love the boozy Christmas dinners that I went to pre-children. Smart frocks and black tie. Casinos and dancing, and all manner of fun. Now I'm just too old and tired for all that.

1987

I love a Christmas Works Do. Always go. Love it!