There are many stops along the trail leading to the end of a career. Whether those forays were from one occupation to another or simply from one desk to another, the final destination of this journey is always the same – retirement. This is often a happy occasion as concluding a career will offer an individual the freedom to invest more energy in their hobbies and passions, to spend more time with the ones they love, and to bask in the feeling of a lifelong job well done. At the same time, retirement has the potential to engender a sense of loss and finality as an individual is permanently leaving work they may have felt strongly about and coworkers whose company they’ve come to appreciate and enjoy over the years. Therefore, it is usually a good idea to keep retirement parties fun and light both to celebrate the positive aspects of retirement and mitigate any sadness associated with it. A few retirement party theme ideas found below aim to accomplish just that.
Retirement Party Themes
- Gag gifts – In addition to any actual gifts the retiree may receive, make a point to throw in at least one or two gag gifts to put a smile on his or her face. For example, you may wish to wrap up an alarm clock set to 5:00am and a shiny, new hammer and welcome the retiree to make good use of that hammer.
- Mock Award Show – The red carpet could literally be rolled out for the retiree as coworkers pepper him or her with fun award show-type questions as he or she arrives at work. A video montage of work accomplishments could be shown as background narration is provided by someone impersonating an overly dramatic movie trailer announcer (In a world where budgets are always balanced…). A silly award (maybe a “Linda” if the retiree is named Linda) could be presented amidst thunderous applause.
- Retirement Interview – Easy “yes or no” questions could be fired in rapid succession at the retiree much like those asked during a job interview, but the questions would be instead attempting to evaluate if he or she is the right candidate for retirement. For example, “Do you have any experience relaxing on the beach?” “Are you up to date on the latest television shows?,” “Is your greatest strength spending time with your family?” Of course, no matter the answers given, the interviewer must say, “I’m sorry, Joe, but I just don’t think you’re the right fit for retirement. We’ll see you at your desk on Monday.”