Daughter of Claus: Day XIX

Bad cracker jokes and boas of tinsel

On the jukebox: Santa Claus Is Comin’ To Town by Bruce Springsteen

I know some people dread the work Christmas party, but I have always thoroughly enjoyed them. The fact I get unashamedly excited about Christmas - bad cracker jokes and paper hats included - probably helps. I go all in from the very start, and shrug off anyone who complains about the season or tries to derail things by grumbling. It helps that I have worked with some truly excellent people over the years, and there has been a mutual appreciation of daftness and merriment, but it is also a good time to catch up with colleagues you don’t speak to as often.

The art to a good Christmas work do is to keep it simple. There is no need for anything too big or too grand. Book a table somewhere in a place which caters to everyone (don’t make people with dietary requirements feel like afterthoughts), and don’t tell people where to sit. Let people choose. The occasional bottle of wine for the table - bought by the managers - always goes down well, but don’t overdo it. Throw in a bit of optional festive fun - quiz questions on tables always work well as icebreakers, or appeal to those of us with a competitive streak - and just leave everyone to it. Speeches and grand announcements are unnecessary. In my current work team, I seem to have fallen into the role of Christmas quiz host (a role I have played in several other work situations over the years), and tonight I will be finishing off my preparations, ready to host this year’s extravaganza of trivia fun at our pre-Christmas team nibbly lunch tomorrow.

In recent years, Christmas parties have been overtaken in my social calendar by Christmas shows. After last year’s Nativity, this year we attended Auri’s school Christmas show. In true poetic fashion, representing the direction my life has taken, I had to cancel attending my work Christmas dinner in the afternoon to attend Auri’s show when the date was confirmed (as much as I love Christmas parties, this was definitely in the “never been an easier decision to make” category). I did, of course, attend complete with festive headgear, though I failed to source a boa of tinsel in time. Next year.

I would love to hear about your own Christmas folklore and memories. Do you have any fond - or not so fond! - memories of work Christmas celebrations?