It’s Christmas time
The countdown has started to one of the most popular and well-loved holidays of the year.
The shops are decorated, the streets are illuminated, people are scurrying about with bagfuls of presents: big ones, small ones, delicate ones, hi-tech ones and even tasty ones.
Each one is something special for a special person.
And each one of us lives Christmas according to many different beliefs and in many different ways. Just as in Dickens’ Christmas Carol:
some people forget it,
some feel its spirit,
some see it as too commercial,
some see it as a religious event,
some just don’t care,
some hate all the chaos,
some can’t stand Santa Claus,
some love decorating trees,
some prefer nativity scenes,
some adore making dinner for Christmas eve or lunch for Christmas day.
Some people have nothing to celebrate,
some would like to celebrate but don’t have the means,
some have never been able to celebrate anything,
some have many people in their lives to share the holiday with and
some are all alone.
Christmas is all of these things.
Take a moment to reflect.
Whether you believe in it or not, whether it’s a genuine or fake holiday; Christmas is a special time. We set aside our everyday routine for a while, even against our own will, and acknowledge the season each in our own way. Some people go away to not be at home or to be somewhere else. Some enjoy the time with their families or take a much-needed break. Some make plans months in advance, some decide at the last minute.
Life is made up of many things: love, friendship, passion, work. Luckily, these spheres can overlap so that a job can be a passion or a coworker can be a friend.
It might seem trite of me to write about this on DuckSide but Christmas is a special time at Mandarina Duck.
We pause for a moment and take stock (not just in the warehouse!).
Over the past few years, we’ve been having wonderful Christmas parties, some official and some non-official, with all our staff.
Last year, we had a special holiday show. Our headquarters became a cozy, candlelit art salon with live music, a DJ and an original film showing how Mandarina had become a part of its employees’ lives by creating friendships and special connections.
The 40-minute film is entitled “EMMEDI: you never forget the first day“. It tells the story of an employee’s first day at work, a magic day that creates many future memories. It’s also filled with humor, gags and comical situations. It was shot in one weekend (apart from the editing) while we were just spending time together and telling stories. That was a beautiful event amongst friends and not just coworkers. Remember, united we stand, divided we fall.
I wonder what’s planned for this year? A work in progress perhaps?
