The Grinch who Stole our Christmas Party

Stop it you whinger. Be happy that your employer actually throws a party. We have no such luxury

Boycott the end of season event. Organise your own christmas party to conicide with their bullshit eventand go all out. Make the miserable blighters regret being who they are by having fun despite their best efforts at being douches.

Mysteryman said :

Deref said :

Mysteryman said :

I hear the “pagan midwinter festival hijacked by Christians” from a lot of people, but none of them have ever been able to provide any evidence of this

Let’s start with the fact that Jesus himself is an entirely mythical character. There is no contemporary evidence whatsoever – absolutely none – of Jesus…

And with that, you proved you have absolutely no idea what you are talking about, and demonstrated that the rest of your post isn’t worth the electrons required to display it. No historian worth his salt has denied the existence of Jesus the person.

Evidence, please.

Bramina said :

What is important is that we all get drunk.

Too true, but the statement needs some fine-tuning, I reckon. “What’s important is that we all get drunk before 3pm.” Surely that is ultimately what makes Xmas parties special. So maybe it should be called a “midday piss-up party”? I’d be happy with that.

Frank Costanza had the right idea. A festivus for the rest of us.

The airing of grievances, followed by feats of strength, and of course the aluminium pole (not decorated because tinsel is too distracting).

Deref said :

Mysteryman said :

I hear the “pagan midwinter festival hijacked by Christians” from a lot of people, but none of them have ever been able to provide any evidence of this

Let’s start with the fact that Jesus himself is an entirely mythical character. There is no contemporary evidence whatsoever – absolutely none – of Jesus…

And with that, you proved you have absolutely no idea what you are talking about, and demonstrated that the rest of your post isn’t worth the electrons required to display it. No historian worth his salt has denied the existence of Jesus the person.

What is important is that we all get drunk.

Funny how people can supposedly be so offended by the mention of Christmas, but I’ve never actually heard anyone complain about getting the time off work over the Christmas break, or making a stand by actually going into work over that period.

Mysteryman said :

I hear the “pagan midwinter festival hijacked by Christians” from a lot of people, but none of them have ever been able to provide any evidence of this

Let’s start with the fact that Jesus himself is an entirely mythical character. There is no contemporary evidence whatsoever – absolutely none – of Jesus or any of his mythical miracles. Nazereth itself didn’t exist at the time in which the Jesus fable is set. The oft-cited reference in Josephus’s writing is generally acknowledged as a clumsy later forgery.

If there was no pagan midwinter celebration, where do you think the pine trees, the holly and the ivy memes came from? They’re all symbols of renewal – the only European plants that remained green over winter. And 25th December? Even Christians accept that they don’t know the date on which their imaginary friend was said to have been born.

Xmas stopped being a Christian celebration about 20-30 years ago. This is just PC rubbish.

Mysteryman said :

I hear the “pagan midwinter festival hijacked by Christians” from a lot of people, but none of them have ever been able to provide any evidence of this … There is plenty of evidence of the winter solstice being recorded as occurring on the 25th of December … But there doesn’t seem to be much (or any) evidence to support the notion that Christians took over or hijacked any pagan celebration … can only be traced back to the 4th century, some 300 or more years after Christ.

There’s plenty of winter solstice worshiping that dates back beyond that. Ancient Babylon and Baal date back around 2000 years prior to the baby-cheeses. The sun has been worshiped by almost every ancient civilisation (Ra, Hou Yi, Ri Gong Ri Guang Pu Sa, Tonatiuh).

If you were really celebrating Jesus’ birth, then you wouldn’t be doing so in December.

Christmas is for you and your family. Why is there a need to force it onto the rest of society?

Mysteryman said :

Deref said :

Bloody ridiculous. I’m a staunch atheist but I celebrate xmas with the best of them. Someone who always attends and enjoys our office xmas parties is a Muslim.

Xmas as it’s celebrated these days may have a vaguely Christian antecedent (it’s a pagan midwinter festival that the Christians hijacked), but the only time I ever see it connected with Christianity is on the signs outside churches.

These people should decorate the top of the xmas pine tree in the same way that the xmas fairy did.

I hear the “pagan midwinter festival hijacked by Christians” from a lot of people, but none of them have ever been able to provide any evidence of this – except for that joke of a film “Zeitgeist”. There is plenty of evidence of the winter solstice being recorded as occurring on the 25th of December, and of festivals in different regions of Europe/Scandinavia that occurred around the same time (notably Saturnalia – a Roman celebration introduced around 200BC which finished on the 23rd of December). But there doesn’t seem to be much (or any) evidence to support the notion that Christians took over or hijacked any pagan celebration. Even the Roman celebration of Sol on the 25th of December (the holiday most commonly claimed to be the one hijacked by Christians) can only be traced back to the 4th century, some 300 or more years after Christ. It’s likely that the Winter Solstice was chosen by Christians because of the significance of the sun’s “rebirth” and the symbolism of Christ’s birth, but to suggests that one celebration was taken over by the other seems a little baseless. As pagans across Europe converted to Christianity, they brought with them some of their traditions and incorporated them into their Christmas celebrations (such as “yule logs’, for instance), but it’s unlikely that Christmas was ever a pagan celebration.

Google Mithras if you want to see a Pagan precursor to the Christ myth.

scary. I always thought we wouldn’t be stupid enough to go down the US path of “happy holidays” (ssshh don’t mention christmas), but here we go. I’m sure other countries we might go live in will do the same for us, white-out their cultural festivities. Not. Why do we feel the need to cringe and grovel because someone declares they are Offended at something?

Deref said :

Bloody ridiculous. I’m a staunch atheist but I celebrate xmas with the best of them. Someone who always attends and enjoys our office xmas parties is a Muslim.

Xmas as it’s celebrated these days may have a vaguely Christian antecedent (it’s a pagan midwinter festival that the Christians hijacked), but the only time I ever see it connected with Christianity is on the signs outside churches.

These people should decorate the top of the xmas pine tree in the same way that the xmas fairy did.

I hear the “pagan midwinter festival hijacked by Christians” from a lot of people, but none of them have ever been able to provide any evidence of this – except for that joke of a film “Zeitgeist”. There is plenty of evidence of the winter solstice being recorded as occurring on the 25th of December, and of festivals in different regions of Europe/Scandinavia that occurred around the same time (notably Saturnalia – a Roman celebration introduced around 200BC which finished on the 23rd of December). But there doesn’t seem to be much (or any) evidence to support the notion that Christians took over or hijacked any pagan celebration. Even the Roman celebration of Sol on the 25th of December (the holiday most commonly claimed to be the one hijacked by Christians) can only be traced back to the 4th century, some 300 or more years after Christ. It’s likely that the Winter Solstice was chosen by Christians because of the significance of the sun’s “rebirth” and the symbolism of Christ’s birth, but to suggests that one celebration was taken over by the other seems a little baseless. As pagans across Europe converted to Christianity, they brought with them some of their traditions and incorporated them into their Christmas celebrations (such as “yule logs’, for instance), but it’s unlikely that Christmas was ever a pagan celebration.

WhyTheLongFace said :

poetix said :

In Australia, we still measure the date from Jesus’ birth, for example. However inaccurately.

I think you will find that has changed. The use of BC and AD are also being removed from use. We are moving to Common Era (CE) and Before Common Era (BCA).

But are spot on about the inaccuracy to ‘Jesus’ birth.

The world changes. Get used to it.

Different terminology, same dating system. And it’s BCE, not BCA.

‘English language expert Kenneth G. Wilson speculated in his style guide that “if we do end by casting aside the A.D./B.C. convention, almost certainly some will argue that we ought to cast aside as well the conventional numbering system [that is, the method of numbering years] itself, given its Christian basis.”‘ (Wikipedia) Sorry, I don’t have time to check the reference.

Can’t escape where the numbers came from, whatever euphemism you choose to use. Or would you rather we developed a new calendar? That’d be convenient.

poetix said :

In Australia, we still measure the date from Jesus’ birth, for example. However inaccurately.

I think you will find that has changed. The use of BC and AD are also being removed from use. We are moving to Common Era (CE) and Before Common Era (BCA).

But are spot on about the inaccuracy to ‘Jesus’ birth.

The world changes. Get used to it.

Bloody ridiculous. I’m a staunch atheist but I celebrate xmas with the best of them. Someone who always attends and enjoys our office xmas parties is a Muslim.

Xmas as it’s celebrated these days may have a vaguely Christian antecedent (it’s a pagan midwinter festival that the Christians hijacked), but the only time I ever see it connected with Christianity is on the signs outside churches.

These people should decorate the top of the xmas pine tree in the same way that the xmas fairy did.

Who cares, as long as there is plenty of booze?

I’m pretty sure a regular office party could have ham, turkey, pavlova, puddings, earings, etc….

Seems to me people are getting their stockings in a twist over a name change.

To be more specific my source says it is the Patents and Trademarks Office in Phillip.

What’s more they say no other celebrations will be observed, like Diwali(?) so as not to offend others.

Just Google “Christmas ban Centrelink”.

Hold “Festivus” instead. After management hears the “Airing of the Grievances” around the Festivus Pole, they may well welcome Christmas back next year … (viz. Seinfeld)

poetix said :

The whole reason we have a holiday (holy day) at the end of the year is the traditional celebration of Jesus’ birth. I find the creepy reindeery carols and kid-scaring Santas awful, but I don’t think we should deny the great historical and religious tradition represented by the Christmas celebration. I try to respect other religions, including, for example, the sacrifices made by Moslems during Ramadan, but let’s not pretend that Christianity isn’t a vital part of our society. In Australia, we still measure the date from Jesus’ birth, for example. However inaccurately.

In the words of Tiny Tim ‘God bless Us, Every One!’ And have a Christmas party, even if you’re an agnostic.

+1

I repeat though that not having carols and Xmas easy listening songs would be huge plus for me. As long as there is finger food and grog, who cares though?

It reminds me of an old South Park episode in which the kids eventually have to dress up as nondescript grey blobs and perform a totally nonsensical play because they are forced to strip out any reference to any culture or religion from their “holiday play”.

Holden Caulfield said :

Christmas is only for a man and a woman.

touche`

and a +1 to the immediate following comment by djk – ie doesn’t matter what’s it called, it’s still a party!!

Sounds like one of those beat-up complaints you see on A Current Affair. I have two Muslim co-workers and they have no issue with going to a ‘christmas party’; hell, one even gave me a christmas card (the only person in the office who gave them out!).

Ah!! the thin edge of the wedge, Gov agency says no to Christmas party, then no to Christmas, then no to Christmas public holidays. Just think of the savings they can make.

Seriously though, I thought that multiculturalism was about celebrating all cultures and their celebrations not removing them from our lives. Where I went to high school in Sydney there were 44 “language groups” as the PC brigade called them. Common language….English, what did we all look forward to every year regardless of our backgrounds or religions…. Christmas holidays.

What sort of a sad sack would feel excluded at a Christmas party that is simply a gathering for people to share a few drinks and some food? I’m fairly certain no work Christmas party is going to be interrupted for a quick church service. And even then have these selfish excluders ever heard of tolerance?

It doesn’t really matter either way, I guess, but surely this is just a bit too precious?

Moreover, if someone wanted to hold an end of Ramadan party, or a Chinese New Year party and were told, nope you can’t do it because Precious would feel excluded, then I’d say that’d create a bit of a fuss for the opposite reasons.

The whole reason we have a holiday (holy day) at the end of the year is the traditional celebration of Jesus’ birth. I find the creepy reindeery carols and kid-scaring Santas awful, but I don’t think we should deny the great historical and religious tradition represented by the Christmas celebration. I try to respect other religions, including, for example, the sacrifices made by Moslems during Ramadan, but let’s not pretend that Christianity isn’t a vital part of our society. In Australia, we still measure the date from Jesus’ birth, for example. However inaccurately.

In the words of Tiny Tim ‘God bless Us, Every One!’ And have a Christmas party, even if you’re an agnostic.

rarm9983 said :

My point is, does the name really matter?

Apparently yes – otherwise you wouldn’t have gone to the effort of finding a neutral name for yours…

I organised a private company party last year and we were all in agreement that as we had people of varying religions that it would be the end of year party. We even got creative and called it the “Summer Soiree” and themed it so people could wear summer attire like hats and cricket shirts etc. Everyone attended as there were no issues with it being a “Christmas Party”, and a great time was had by all. My point is, does the name really matter? Maybe you should cheer up and stop complaining and you would have a better time at your end of year function?

Bluey said :

What PC bollocks.

Next people will be sued for carroling in public for offending someones sensitivities…

People should get sued for carolling in public for offending someone’s senses!

ozzieme said :

Well bollocks I say. We have to conform to traditions etc etc if we were in other countries and not to mention we also have to conform to that particular way of life. I think Australia is becoming increasingly “weak” and allowing our own traditions be shoved out of society just to please other religions. Yes I understand we are a multicultural society but really, why do our tradititions have to be stamped out to “please” our new migrants/citizens????? Also this particular government department is also given those an extra 4 days to have “religous” time off anyway. Bah Humbug any wonder there is so much rasism out there and to think our kids are not going to know what a tradition is by the time they grow up.

Christmas parties have been going on foreva, its not like the staff are asking you to come dressed for the ocassion but to have fun and celebrate good times, those that have the traditions are going to party in the name of it anyway.

This opens up discussion as to what are OUR traditions as opposed to those imported from foreign parts (Britain, Europe, The USA). What are OUR traditions and what makes them OURS, because ultimately all of US were once one of THEM, either personally of by heritage.?

This happens to be on the Dept of Innovation, Patent s I hear.

Of course it sounds like poltical correctness gone mad but get over it. I love Christmas time and Christmas party season but save your traditions for your family. I’m grateful that I’ve never had to sing carols at the dozens of public service Christmas parties I’ve been to over the years. The less formal the better I reckon. Would take a BBQ in the park over a Christmas buffet any day (except Christmas day!).

SR said :

Alas, ’tis true….. the name part at least, I haven’t been involved in the politicing about the name. It’s advertised on our internal network as the ‘End of Year Party’, and the accompanying festive illustration is quite neutral – to the extent that it looks like something for a kids birthday party.

Not that any previous christmas parties were ever even slightly religious…… apart from the derivation of the name.

Maybe we should vote with our feet and organise a un-pc christmas party at our other nearby venue 🙂

S

If it’s only the name that has changed, who cares?

Are there any more substantial changes?

If you don’t want us to call it Christmas, we could just cancel the holiday that has been set up to celebrate it, y’know?

I agree with SR, we should be standing for the right to celebrate and do it elsewhere, make a stand, make it public, be amongst the first gov departments to make a standing point of PC.

Alas, ’tis true….. the name part at least, I haven’t been involved in the politicing about the name. It’s advertised on our internal network as the ‘End of Year Party’, and the accompanying festive illustration is quite neutral – to the extent that it looks like something for a kids birthday party.

Not that any previous christmas parties were ever even slightly religious…… apart from the derivation of the name.

Maybe we should vote with our feet and organise a un-pc christmas party at our other nearby venue 🙂

S

Christmas in the modern age is two events rolled into: a Christian celebration and a secular celebration. Anyone who cannot quietly decide which one they personally are going to celebrate and just go about doing it is a freakin’ idiot.

And if you really are required to have this discussion at work, just get them to make a distinction on the invitations:

“PLEASE NOTE: This is a Christmas (Santa Claus-Reindeer-fa-la-la-la-la) Party, not a Christmas (Baby Jesus-Wise Men-Myrrh) Party.”

Well bollocks I say. We have to conform to traditions etc etc if we were in other countries and not to mention we also have to conform to that particular way of life. I think Australia is becoming increasingly “weak” and allowing our own traditions be shoved out of society just to please other religions. Yes I understand we are a multicultural society but really, why do our tradititions have to be stamped out to “please” our new migrants/citizens????? Also this particular government department is also given those an extra 4 days to have “religous” time off anyway. Bah Humbug any wonder there is so much rasism out there and to think our kids are not going to know what a tradition is by the time they grow up.

Christmas parties have been going on foreva, its not like the staff are asking you to come dressed for the ocassion but to have fun and celebrate good times, those that have the traditions are going to party in the name of it anyway.

as a non-practicing but still self-identifying Christian I’m all for the secularists getting the tanks off the lawn.

That is I’d love to see non-christians stop carrying on about it.

Meanwhile back in Victoria.

Be glad you’re still getting an end of year party.

Our end of year event is called a Christmas Party by our employer.

Decorations, Tree & Santa. Even a nativity scene. Then there is the fact that the people who don’t like Christmas or the word or the connotation or the whatever, are still welcome. its the silly season.

Only on the grounds that all are there for Socialising not socialism. or any ism for that fact. It’s a Christmas Party, at Christmas time. get a grip.

So Party, have a great time, and Santa gifts for the kids (big and small) and food (yes dietary requirements are looked after unless vegetarian by choice – that’s your problem) and if you want to object, then our managers will happily listen to your complaints. Then as a well informed and conscious descision making adult, you end up with 3 choices, 1) if you choose to participate you may continue to join the festivities, but are politely asked to keep your disturbing misguided and self centred ideology to yourself, or 2) you can sit back and be the only one who does not get a gift from Santa, and that includes your kids since you said you dont want them to participate because you were thinking of yourself not them, (and any religious nuts can shut up too), or 3) eFF.off ! get back to work, and the boss will probably task you to the most menial sh*t shovelling thing he can find, just to make sure you can justify your ars%h@le attitude in the first place.

We’ve never had a problem here with Christmas parties, and we will continue to have a Christmas party.

Merry Christmas 2011

Just tell them that you are not celebrating the Christian traditional observation of the Birth of Baby Jebus (which is clearly religion specific), but rather that you are celebrating the up coming Christmas Day Public Holiday, which is a government specified public holiday which everyone gets regardless of religious affiliation (or lack of it). Celebrating this holiday is clearly a secular thing, since it is controlled by the government. Just like marriage.

FoMoCo said :

And down the slope we start… wont be long before they ban shopping malls/centres from displaying xmas decorations because it makes people feel un-welcome!!!!

As long as they stop playing Christmas Carols in the malls I’ll support the ban.

BlackIce said :

Call it the “Yule party”, and reclaim the holiday from those thieving Christians!

+1

I’d be interested to see precisely what substance there is to these posts. Most of the time when people bang on about this sort of “PC GONE MAD” thing, it ends up that the actual changes are pretty innocuous and the whole thing is a beat up (the Daily Mail in the UK and our own Terrorgraph have a history of beat ups – not to mention straight-up lying – on this issue).

How does removing the word Christmas and replacing it with ‘End of Year’ (which is a bit of nothing), for example, accord with “no plum pudding, no roast turkey and ham, no pavlova”. Are people *really* going to be barred from wearing crappy Christmas clothes and jewelry?

Probably not.

I was at first going to make a smart arse remark about making it an “offend everyone” party… But come to think about it why not have a Christmas party, and at the end of Ramadan celebrate the Feast of Ramadan, and celebrate Chanukah (although that usually coincides with Christmas) and basically enjoy multiculturalism…

Last time I check multiculturalism was a celebration of different cultures, not one culture stating they are offended at the status quo culture and forcing change, and I’ll define that further and state that it’s not even one culture but a small group of arseholes who don’t identify with the status quo and thus want to ruin it for everybody else.

This really make me mad. You don’t like what the Christmas party? Don’t attend. But don’t ruin it for those who enjoy it and want to celebrate because it’s Christmas.

This isn’t about multiculturalism; it’s anticulturalism. It is clearly an attempt to deny the cultural origin of these celebrations that occur at the end of the year. No one has to be a Christian to celebrate Christmas; that has never been a part of any Christmas tradition I’ve ever encountered. This is actually a bit worse than just ‘PC gone mad; it’s actively exclusivist.

Good news…the sooner we get rid of the outward trappings of the nonsense that is now Christmas the better.

Call it the “Yule party”, and reclaim the holiday from those thieving Christians!

While my personal preference for this time of year is steal The Simpsons line “Have a merry Christmas, happy Chanukah, kwazy Kwanza, a tip-top Tet, and a solemn, dignified Ramadan” or to go around and wish everyone a happy hijacked pagan festival, why not call it what it is:
The Annual End Of Calendar Year Company Catered Gathering Designed To Foster Of A Sense Of Camaraderie And To Give The Impression That Management Cares About The Plebs While At The Same Time Making Up For The Poor Office Environment and Unpaid Overtime And/Or Extra Duties Provided By Employees Over The Last Twelve Months, In Which Employees Are Plied With Alcohol And Left Likely To Do Or Say Something That Will Follow Them For The Rest Of Their Time In The Organisation And Possibly Beyond

Or have a Summer Solstice/Midsummer’s Day celebration and light a bonfire in the middle of your office/venue…

It doesn’t have to be a restriction, it can be an opportunity

So… you still get a party but you’re upset you don’t get to wear your s***ty Santa t-shirt. Boohoo.

Australia has a Christian heritage but we are now a secular society so a workplace gathering should be accommodating to everyone.

As a gamer, a geek and a stout anti-religionist (that what I am calling it, just need to apply for tax-exempt status now) within my household and among my friends we celebrate Winter-een-mas.

At Xmas we get together with family and friends but there is no Baby Jeebus or any religion involved. Someone always tries to bring it up but it is quickly stopped before I get started on how much of a cock God is.

What PC bollocks.

Next people will be sued for carroling in public for offending someones sensitivities…

FoMoCo said :

And down the slope we start… wont be long before they ban shopping malls/centres from displaying xmas decorations because it makes people feel un-welcome!!!!

The semantically-minded (e.g. me) will already have noticed that the word “Christmas” has been progressively replaced by “Holiday” and/or “Season” in major retailers’ advertising and promotional material over the last few years. You also won’t hear many (if any) religious-themed songs playing over shopping centre P.A. systems these days. It seems that they’re already self-policing on this point, to an extent.

Hmm I didn’t notice any particular absence of Hindus or Sikhs at the last Christmas bash. I also saw plenty of non-Hindus at the Diwali party last year. Some of us even tried our feet at an Indian dance.

I would have just called it an “Xmas Party”, thereby removing any reference to Christ/Christianity. Or a Festivus Party.

Personally I couldn’t really care what it is called, it is just an end of year piss-up in reality and I would have thought most people are smart or mature enough to realise that regardless of the name.

Maybe they should ban alcohol and meat at these Festivus parties so that people that don’t drink or eat meat don’t feel unwelcome? Perhaps just make it a Breathing Party so that no (living) person is excluded??

Christmas is only for a man and a woman.

And down the slope we start… wont be long before they ban shopping malls/centres from displaying xmas decorations because it makes people feel un-welcome!!!!

Talk about completely OTT!! I don’t celebrate Christmas, but I still go to work Xmas parties because they are a chance to enjoy a nice meal, some drinks, and time socialising with my colleagues (and sometimes families, depending on workplace). I don’t really care what they are called.

Once the complaints are made, management doesn’t really have the option of telling objectors to “suck it up”. We’re a secular society, and Christmas is still a Christian tradition (recent commercialisation notwithstanding) – something’s gotta give.