The Croatian government has banned Christmas and New Year parties in the public sector because of the global financial crisis. State-run firms and organisations have also been told that they won't be allowed to dip into their funds to buy Christmas presents.
The ban follows a proposal to freeze public-sector salaries next year. Prime Minister Ivo Sanader said there was no need for panic, but the country had to be serious.
"For that goal we forbid buying of Christmas and New Year's gifts as well as organising of Christmas and New Year's receptions," said Mr Sanader.
From the BBC News Website
I can't say I've ever entertained any thoughts about visiting Croatia. Until now. Cancelling Christmas parties is an excellent idea in my bah-humbug book.
I have opted out of my office Christmas Party this year as have some of my colleagues. Like most other organisations ours is a corporate bash where all the different departments attend. I simply no longer have the urge to sit in a room full of people who either give you grief or simply choose to ignore you if you pass them in the corridor the rest of the year. Trying to make small talk to someone who you don't really give a toss about whilst wearing a stupid paper hat, eating barely edible turkey and having bloody Shakin' Stevens singing Merry Christmas in the background isn't my idea of fun. And paying way over the odds for the privilege merely adds insult to considerable mental injury.
'So what are you doing for Christmas? Are you having the family?' Sorry, I'm not going to answer your ridiculous questions because then I would feel obliged to ask you the same and I really couldn't give a Jonathan Ross about you or your family. No offence...
Enduring the meal and the smalltalk is bad enough; there's the 'disco' afterwards. Middle aged women who in normal circumstances barely give you the time of day are suddenly transformed by a couple of glasses of cheap red wine and drag you on to the dance floor 'because it's Christmas'. Strangely enough, come Monday morning they're back to their non-communicative ways and looking quite sheepish as they try to remember what they were up to on Friday night.
So (paper) hats off to the Croatians. Christmas becomes more and more of a commercial festival with each passing year. And for this grumpy old ranter more and more tedious.
Wake me up when it's January...
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3 comments:
God I am so with you on the office Christmas Parties - they are horrific. I usually used to get so bored I would drink then try and liven things up and then hang my head for the rest of the year to come out of embarassment. They should be banned. Totally.
You must go have a look at my latest post on my blog. There is a bit of a mention of something Scottish. Something that caused me a lot of grief earlier on in my life. Have a great weekend!
Christmas office parties are what digital camcorders were made for.
That is one way to keep those miserable bints away from you on Monday.
An unexpected e-mail of a video can be used as either blackmail or spite.
I love it! :):)
Yes, I've also opted out of our Holiday party at work. Just too much merriment going on for me right now.
When I worked in the Trust Company in Kansas CIty. That Bank had HUGE parties with open bars and food like you wouldn't believe. I took my camera and got some great embarrassing pictures of usually prim and proper people. Ahhh those were fun times...
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