Secret Santa / Xmas pudding
Dec. 4th, 2015 10:09 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
lathanyI think I killed Secret Santa. I mean, I know it's dead. But I also think I was responsible.
Let me explain. My bigger team in the office (eight of us) did Secret Santa last year. I wasn't very happy about it. We'd not had one before, and the first I'd heard of it I'd been handed a name (Friday) to get a present by the Wednesday for the team Xmas meal. I think I ranted quite a bit (although just to N and S). Last year I angsted a lot and bought smelly candles for my name (there's a £5 limit). We handed the presents around at the meal on the Wednesday. (I do like the annual Xmas team meal. It's a lunch out with wine. You can have turkey if you want.)
This year, G can't make the team Xmas meal (she's on holiday to the Mediterranean). So A was asking her whether she wanted to opt into Secret Santa. My ears pricked up.
"Can I opt out?" I asked.
It seemed, then, that I was the only one. N said he was still in and S, when it was first mentioned, said it seemed like a good idea to continue just to keep people happy.
I thought I'd opted out on my own. I didn't mind and I didn't say anything - because it wasn't about starting a trend, just about not having to get a present for someone I didn't have a clue what to buy for. I was quite happy.
But today I found out it was dead. Apparently no-one but A and J of the eight of us were particularly keen and I'd started the revolution.
So I think I've killed Secret Santa. I'm wondering whether I should be sorry about it.
Let me explain. My bigger team in the office (eight of us) did Secret Santa last year. I wasn't very happy about it. We'd not had one before, and the first I'd heard of it I'd been handed a name (Friday) to get a present by the Wednesday for the team Xmas meal. I think I ranted quite a bit (although just to N and S). Last year I angsted a lot and bought smelly candles for my name (there's a £5 limit). We handed the presents around at the meal on the Wednesday. (I do like the annual Xmas team meal. It's a lunch out with wine. You can have turkey if you want.)
This year, G can't make the team Xmas meal (she's on holiday to the Mediterranean). So A was asking her whether she wanted to opt into Secret Santa. My ears pricked up.
"Can I opt out?" I asked.
It seemed, then, that I was the only one. N said he was still in and S, when it was first mentioned, said it seemed like a good idea to continue just to keep people happy.
I thought I'd opted out on my own. I didn't mind and I didn't say anything - because it wasn't about starting a trend, just about not having to get a present for someone I didn't have a clue what to buy for. I was quite happy.
But today I found out it was dead. Apparently no-one but A and J of the eight of us were particularly keen and I'd started the revolution.
So I think I've killed Secret Santa. I'm wondering whether I should be sorry about it.
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no subject
Date: 2015-12-05 08:27 am (UTC)I don't think you should be sorry. Surely a secret Santa is meant to be a bit of fun, and if 75% of you didn't really find it fun, then what's the point? I'm sure most presents are ultimately tat that gets thrown away - it's hard to buy a nice gift that will be appreciated for under a fiver when you don't know the recipient all that well.
Our office secret Santa comes with an opt-out; I haven't opted out and will see how it goes. I missed the Christmas party last year, and the previous one the secret presents were done like a lucky dip rather than being given a name.
(Church.)
no subject
Date: 2015-12-06 11:09 am (UTC)I think your office has got it right (having an opt out, I mean) and, to be fair to my office, that's what would have happened this year if it had been just me.