Hello.
Yes.
We need to discuss a matter of tinsel-themed significance.
You see, Christmas is just around the corner.
Which means it’s time for cheesy Christmas movies, drinking way too much cheap wine at the office Christmas party, and participating in the dreaded… office Kris Kringle.
You’ve probably already received the email.
The one that asks you to spend $10-$20 on a gift for Susan from accounting, who you’ve nodded hello to three times this month and once asked about her trip to Bali in 2014.
Holly Wainwright, Mia Freedman and Rachel Corbett discuss Kris Kringle on Mamamia Out Loud…
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You’re probably already racking your brain, trying to figure out how you can buy something perfect for Susan, who has a cat and might drink peppermint tea sometimes ¯\_(ツ)_/¯, for just $10-$20.
You’re probably already dreading the, erm, terrible smelly soap set you’re going to receive from Steve from IT and wondering how long you’ll have to pretend to like it before you can chuck it in the bin.
The thing is, Kris Kringle is a bloody terrible idea and we all know it.
It should be banned and we should all just spend the money on a greasy kebab as we stumble home from the Christmas party.
Anywho, at the risk of sounding like a Grinchy McGrinch Grinch, here’s all the reasons the office Kris Kringle needs to stop:
It’s… cheap.
No one wants a $10 gift.
I love a good bargain as much as the next Iconic sale shopper, but most things under $10-$20 are going to be cheap pieces of crap that will break/end up in landfill before New Year’s Eve.
We’re better off saving our money and buying something nice for ourselves… like a greasy kebab. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
It’s terrible for the environment.
Like I said most Secret Santa gifts end up in landfill. This is terrible for the environment. And just… unnecessary.
It can get awkward.
Most people understand there are some gifts that are inappropriate for the office Secret Santa, but some people do… not.
No one wants to receive a pair of lacey undies from their balding, socially awkward boss.
And even if Susan from accounting thinks it’s hilarious to gift the receptionist a dildo in front of the entire office, it’s usually… not.
You have to pretend to… like it.
There’s nothing more awkward than opening a gift in front of a group of people and pretending to like it.
There’s only so much excitement you can muster for an oven glove, or a stapler that was definitely stolen from the stationary cupboard, or So Fresh – The Hits of 2011.
You could do a jig instead.
Kris Kringle gifts are a terrible waste of time and money when you could just present your colleagues with a jig instead.
Jigs are free and also festive.
Listen to the full episode of Mamamia Out Loud…
Top Comments
Just buy a bottle of wine.... They can always regift it.
I was in an entry level job and was paid $19 per hour, with two young children we were just making ends meet. Then i received the email, a $100 KK! I spent the money on the KK but then could not afford to attend the Christmas party. I was fired after the christmas break for 'not fitting in socially'! I hate KK!