So we moved our plans online. Thank you Zoom! Everyone at Gibe works hard; and the Christmas party is one of many things and events we have to say thank you and that allows us to spend time together out of a work focus.
The order of festive events were:
The Christmas presentation
A presentation celebrating the successes with our clients and the good work from the team, our financials and the usual looking forward to an optimistic 2021. With Champagne of course. This year we also did a NPS survey with the team and our clients and we discussed the things rated high and the things rated lower that we plan to improve in 2021.
The Christmas Meal
Pete and Laura put together a most excellent spread. A few days before they had delivered a hamper of delicious delicatessen meats, cheese, biscuits, nuts, chocolate truffles and 5 half bottles of wine and champagne to each of us. Vegan / Vegetarian / cider / soft-drinks alternatives were given to those with alternative preferences.
Some of us set this up on their desk and some (me) put a ridiculously laid table together with candles, napkins, lights, the special plates reserved for if the Queen visits, an array of appropriate glasses… I believe the word I used was “fancy”. Whilst not the same as being wined and dined in a restaurant together the food and Zoom company was brilliant. I would give 5* on Trip Advisor for “Restaurant Chic De Gibe Digital”.
Secret Santa
We went ahead with Secret Santa. Everyone had been given their anonymous gifts with their hampers. Typically everyone had something was either practical, thoughtful or weird and wonderful.
I have asked many times for a Lego Deathstar and I got my wish… ok so it wasn’t the giant one, it was the smallest one you can get and it was brilliant, along with a “Blox” (fake Lego) Santa Sleigh with Reindeer and the best “Baby Yoda” badge. Others had books, World of Warcraft notebooks, games, large fluffy cats (stuffed toy… no one was bought a kitten!!!), drinks and more that I’ve forgotten.
The Gibe Awards
A few weeks before we asked everyone vote for various categories with a Hotjar poll. And this was turned into a series of silly awards. Everyone got one and we tried to present them over Zoom in an Oscar Style, with drumrolls and thanking of all the people who had gotten them to this point. The certificates were in envelopes, excellently designed by Laura our talented designer. Categories included: Best Dressed, Nicest Person, Funniest, Master Yoda (the wisest), Most Photogenic and Nerdiest Nerd. All were meant with good humour and love.
Hugh’s Christmas Quiz 2020
Now this was ridiculous. It started off fairly standard – with Round 1 on Christmas facts. It then got sillier.
Round 1 Christmas “facts” - Questions
- Where is the official home of Santa Claus
- What colour was Santa Claus originally?
- Name all of Santa’s reindeer
- When Ross can't find a Santa outfit in time for Christmas in Friends, what does he dress up as instead to impress his son Ben?
- The Snowman was shown on TV for the first time on Boxing Day of which year?
- In Mean Girls, what song do The Plastics perform a risqué routine to in front of their school?
- Which character declares "Merry Christmas, one and all!" in Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol?
- In which children's classic is it 'always winter but never Christmas'? Bonus point for author (2 points)
- On the 10th day of Christmas my true love gave to me…what?
- What is the German word for Christmas Tree?
Round 1 Christmas “facts” - Answers
- Rovaniemi in Lapland (2 points)
- Green
- Dasher, Dancer, Prancer, Vixen, Comet, Cupid, Donner (Donder and Dunder also acceptable), Blitzen (Blixen, Blixem) and Rudolf (9 points)
- Holiday Armadillo
- 1982
- Jingle Bell Rock
- Tiny Tim
- CS Lewis' The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe / Narnia
- 10 lords a leaping
- Tannenbaum
Round 2 Christmas Cracker Jokes - Questions
1 point for correct answer. 1 point also up for grabs based on the team agreement for the best “wrong” answer (and some answers were really wrong!)
- What did Santa do when he went speed dating?
- What do you get if Santa forgets to wear his undercrackers?
- How does Darth Vader enjoy his Christmas Turkey?
- What do you get if you cross Santa with a duck?
- Why has Santa been banned from sooty chimneys?
- Why does Donald Trump have his Christmas dinner on a plastic plate?
- What do you call a snowman with a six pack?
- How can you tell if you are at a Brexit party this Christmas?
- What does Miley Cyrus have for her Christmas dinner?
- How will Brexit affect Christmas dinner?
- What do you call an old snowman?
- Why was Theresa May sacked as nativity manager?
Round 2 Christmas Cracker Jokes - Answers
- He pulled a cracker
- St Nickerless
- On the dark side!
- A Christmas Quacker!
- Carbon footprints
- He doesn’t get on with China
- An abdominal snowman
- Because everyone wants to leave
- Twerky
- No Brussels
- Water
- She couldn’t run a stable government!
Round 3 Christmas Carol Round
This was a bit more complicated. We had put envelopes with song lyrics into everyone’s hamper. And these had to be sung… yes Gibe carolling was a thing! Wine helped. Everyone got into the spirit (some were also on spirits). The quiz element was to name the song and the next line of the song.
Round 3 Christmas Carol Round – the song questions
Song 1
Oh, jingle bells, jingle bells
Jingle all the way
Oh, what fun it is to ride
In a one horse open sleigh
Jingle bells, jingle bells
Jingle all the way
Oh, what fun it is to ride
<BLANK>
Song 2
Oh the weather outside is frightful
But the fire is so delightful
And since we've no place to go
Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow!
It doesn't show signs of stopping
And I've bought some corn for popping
The lights are turned way down low
<BLANK>
Song 3
Deck the halls with boughs of holly, Fa la la la la la la la!
'Tis the season to be jolly, Fa la la la la la la la!
Don we now our gay apparel, Fa la la la la la la la!
Troll the ancient Yuletide carol,
<BLANK>
Song 4
You better watch out
You better not cry
Better not pout
I'm telling you why
<BLANK>
He's making a list
And checking it twice
Gonna find out Who's naughty and nice
<BLANK>
Song 5
Silent night, holy night!
All is calm, all is bright.
Round yon Virgin, Mother and Child.
Holy infant so tender and mild,
<BLANK>
Song 6
It's the hap-happiest season of all
With those holiday greetings and gay happy meetings
When friends come to call
It's the hap-happiest season of all
There'll be parties for hosting
Marshmallows for toasting
And caroling out in the snow
There'll be scary ghost stories
And tales of the glories of
<BLANK>
Song 7
It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas
Ev'rywhere you go;
Take a look in the five-and-ten, glistening once again
With candy canes and silver lanes aglow.
<BLANK>
Song 8
Sleigh bells ring
are you listening
in the lane
snow is glistening
A beautiful sight
we're happy tonight
<BLANK>
Song 9
[from end of song]
I'm dreaming of a white Christmas
With every Christmas card I write
May your days be merry and bright
<BLANK>
Song 10
O Christmas tree, O Christmas tree!
How are thy leaves so verdant!
O Christmas tree, O Christmas tree,
<BLANK>
Song 11
O Tannenbaum, o Tannenbaum,
wie treu sind deine Blätter!
Du grünst nicht nur
zur Sommerzeit,
Nein auch im Winter, wenn es schneit.
<BLANK>
Round 3 Christmas Carol Round – the song answers
Next line and name of the song.
- In a one-horse open sleigh
Jingle Bells - Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow!
Let it Snow - Fa la la la la la la la!
Deck the Halls - Santa Claus is coming to town
Santa Claus is coming to town - Sleep in heavenly peace,
Silent Night - Christmases long, long ago
It’s the most wonderful time of the year - It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas,
It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas - walking in a winter wonderland
Walking in a winter wonderland - And may all your Christmases be white
Dreaming of a white Christmas - How are thy leaves so verdant!
Christmas tree - Tannenbaum, o Tannenbaum,
wie treu sind deine Blätter!
Tannenbaum
The end of a big night
By the time the quiz was over we should have been done. It was past 6. We weren’t done.
We also attempted Gibe Against Humanity. Everyone had been given about 40 Cards Against Humanity white cards, Hugh had the black cards – randomly dealt out and points for the funniest answer. If you’ve played the game you’ll know how it works. And finally an attempt at Taskmaster, but this was definitely the point that most of us agreed it was bedtime! It was 8:50.
Nothing replaces face-to-face human interaction. We are naturally social beings. But in these times it is right to be safe and to find creative ways to have fun. We hope 2021 will see a return to a better new normal. We hope if you’ve read this you’ve enjoyed and might find some ideas for your own zoom events.
