A tasty scare, eerily beautiful outfits and gingerbread legends
Christmas parties are known for contemplation and mulled wine, but the Online Group wouldn’t be the Online Group if we weren’t a little different. This year, a sinister hint of Halloween floated through the Advent air: the 2024 Christmas event was themed “Spooky Christmas” – fittingly, as the celebration fell on no less a day than Friday, December 13. At 6 p.m. sharp, the gates opened to the spooky festivity – and what awaited us was a mixture of chills, charm and choral singing.
Creepy figures and a special kind of aperitif
As soon as you entered the location, you would have thought you had landed in the middle of a horror movie – but with a guaranteed happy ending. From Chucky the killer doll to the undead Christmas lady, everything was represented. A compliment to all employees: You took the “spooky dress code challenge” absolutely seriously!
The evening got off to a leisurely start with a lavish aperitif – at least as far as the pace was concerned. Because the first eyes started to roll at the bar… or rather, the first drinks, accompanied by cheerful laughter and diabolical cheers. As the disguises became more and more impressive, our hunger for what awaited us in the dining room grew.
The Master’s Christmas speech … and the appearance of the Board of Directors
Our CEO Balz Zürrer took the opportunity to give a Christmas speech. Between words of praise and a smile on his face, he emphasized the team’s impressive achievements this year. The new team members were also warmly welcomed once again.
The appearance of the entire Board of Directors was a special moment – it had never happened before! However, Balz immediately reassured those present: “Their presence has absolutely nothing to do with the ‘Spooky’ motto.” We believe him … sort of.
Culinary delights and the battle of the gingerbread
After the speech, it was time for the festive meal: an exquisite dish that would satisfy even the hungriest vampire.
But the real competition began with dessert: while one half was still enjoying their delicacies, the other half moved on to the bakery of horrors. The aim here was to build the most creative gingerbread house. It soon became clear that this was more than just a nice pastime – the architecture of the sweet creepy houses was impressive! In the end, Robin was the undisputed winner: his replica of the Colosseum was not only visually impressive, but also tasty (or so the rumor goes).
Karaoke and dancing with the shadows
After dinner, everyone headed back to the bar. A second challenge awaited us here – but not of an architectural nature. The karaoke party began! From “Thriller” and “Last Christmas” to classics from the 80s and 90s, all the hits were warbled, shrieked or, let’s call it lovingly, interpreted. It was a veritable feast of voices – and some of them could have come straight out of a horror movie… in a positive way, of course.
What time did it really get? Well, certain secrets are best kept between us. Just this much: the spirit of “Spooky Christmas” had us all firmly in its grip – and only let us go when the last spooky character made his way home.
A big thank you to our organizers
An event like this doesn’t happen by itself. A huge thank you goes to Jenny, Jessi and Uschi, who planned and organized everything down to the smallest detail. You have given us an unforgettable evening – and a little fear of what you will come up with for next year.
