This Grinch hates......

[Griff]

Originally Posted by monster

Is it true there's no alcohol at office parties here?

When I worked for GE we had tremendous benders for any an all office parties until the lawyers got into the mix. Pete's company used to have unlimited open bar (free booze) but that got expensive and there were occasional behavior issues so they are cash bar. The crew voted for the party for my work to be at a school so no booze.

[kerosene]

I use to work for a company that celebrated beer:30 every Friday afternoon. In the office. For some it was vodka:30. You can imagine what the Christmas party was like!

[glatt]

Before the recession, my law firm always had a huge Christmas luncheon and party hosted in a local hotel ballroom. An amazing spread and open bar. From about noon to 4, and then one of the partners would open a tab at a nearby bar into the wee hours of the morning and we would take over the bar. When I was younger, I'd be there for the whole thing and then off to the bar all night. For the more recent ones, I'd go grab some shrimp cocktail and carved turkey and then go home to the wife before the kids would get home from school.

Every few years, someone would be in trouble the next day for what they did the night before.

Since the recession, they have some pies in the cafeteria, and I'll go get a slice of pecan pie. Yes. I like pecans on my pie.

[morethanpretty]

ALL of the xmas music. Most espescially when I'm in a store, or when I'm on hold with a place and they think it'll put me in a better mood to have xmas music playing.
All of the people who insist xmas is about christ, no...its about spending money on other people and getting money spent on you. Its a stolen holiday anyway (back me up pagans).
All of the people who get pissed about it being called a "holiday" tree, or "winter" break instead of xmas. This season not about christ for most people, so stop pretending
My family making a jesus birthday cake, and then singing happy birthday to jesus
All of my favorite shows having to run a knockoff A Christmas Carol or It's A Wonderful Life
All the weight I gain from eating desserts

[Sundae]

None of the above
But I must admit one of my perennial niggles is more niggly at Christmas. Pointless Americanisms.

I resent the Coca-Cola "Holidays are coming" advert. No. A holiday is what you go on in the summer, Christmas is not a holiday in this country. Make a different advert according to my culture. Especially given Coca-Cola is a summer drink anyway - who has extra room in their fridge once the turkey and cheeseboard are in there...?

Candy canes are not part of our tradition. We don't even use the word candy. Stop it.

Father Christmas not Santa Claus. The one acceptable use is Secret Santa, as you can't get the pleasing alliteration otherwise.

[Bullitt]

Originally Posted by Sundae Girl

I resent the Coca-Cola "Holidays are coming" advert. No. A holiday is what you go on in the summer, Christmas is not a holiday in this country. Make a different advert according to my culture.

Aww that's cute, you want a huge corporation to adjust it's marketing for every culture on the planet. Adorable.

[Shawnee123]

Originally Posted by Bullitt

Aww that's cute, you want a huge corporation to adjust it's marketing for every culture on the planet. Adorable.

Isn't that what marketing folks are paid to do? Like Coca-cola people sit around a table and say "Gee, I'd love to target marketing to other countries, but we just can't afford it"?

Give them Father Christmas, damn you. Do it!

[Lamplighter]

Gee, I thought we drove on the right side of the road,
and the Brits drove on the left.

Do we need to change over to be PC ?

[Shawnee123]

Originally Posted by Lamplighter

Gee, I thought we drove on the right side of the road,
and the Brits drove on the left.

Do we need to change over to be PC ?

When in Rome...

Adjust. Adapt. Change.

It's not a difficult concept. Us Merkins think we have everything right. Not by a long shot.

[Shawnee123]

Coca-cola is a summer drink? Argh!

What season is beer?

[Sundae]

Beer is summer too.
As is Pimms.

Christmas is wine and whisky (and wild, wild women!) and liqueurs.

Of course all of these really are all year round.
It's just like my rule about no cold toppings on hot potatoes (apart from cheese) and assigning genders to numbers.

[Sundae]

Oh crikey, yes!
And hey - McDonalds does it, as do most international lagers

It's not an anti-American issue, I'm parochial on a global scale. I also resent dubbed ads from Continental Europe ie cars with steering wheels on the wrong side, obviously foreign cityscapes etc.

If you want my money, appeal to me as a consumer.

[Sundae]

Romans drive on the wrong side of the road too.
And don't use their pedestrian crossings unless you are following a Nun (don't worry - there are plenty, and about the only way to assure a safe crossing!)

[Shawnee123]

Originally Posted by Sundae Girl

Romans drive on the wrong side of the road too.
And don't use their pedestrian crossings unless you are following a Nun (don't worry - there are plenty, and about the only way to assure a safe crossing!)

Well chariots are harder to steer.

[DanaC]

Santa Claus has been in fairly common currency over here for a good while now Sundae. Granted, Father Christmas is more usual; but 'Santa' and 'Santa's elves' etc aren't so new.

Also, in fairness: school breaks up for the Christmas Holidays. I don't think 'the holidays are coming' is particularly American. Yes, a holiday is something we go on, as an American goes on a vacation: but we've also retained both the original meaning of a particular holy day and the newer meaning of time off work/school. Though, the global-corporate sensibility of referring to it in faith-neutral, or inter-faith terms I'll give you.