Before I start, I have a message for all the kids: a how-to Christmas for you guys will come soon! But that may come out closer to Christmas.
Now, let's move on to our topic. As I mentioned in the other Christmas how-to blog, from December 1st, it is free rein for Christmas gifting to start at work or at your school. Well, the Christmas parties also start coming around. Slowly but surely, you'll receive invitations for your work Christmas party, your friend group will want you to go to their Christmas party, and you might even have a big family reunion! But that brings the questions! What will I wear? How do I act? Do I bring something? Now, for a friend and family Christmas party, you could show up wearing your PJs and still have the best time of your life because you know those people well. But pulling off something like this in a work setting is impossible. This is why, if you need it, I'll show you how to act and what to do at a work Christmas party and occasionally provide tips for friend and family parties.
What to wear?
When going to a party, the first thing one would ask themselves is, "What do I wear?" Scrap that; when going anywhere, the first thing one would ask themselves is, "What do I wear?" Because these days, clothes have to represent you. You need to show your whole personality in these simple pieces of fabric. The colours represent your energy, and the design represents your thoughts. At this point, clothes have to be more you than you are. So when going to a party, especially a work one, you must dress appropriately. If you already have a specific dress code for the party (such as: "wear your work uniform" or "wear nude colours"), then all you have to do is follow that. But if there isn't a dress code, or it's just something like "wear something nice", you have to put some effort in. First, you must recognise that "nice" really means something very uncomfortable but professional-looking. This way, you look mature and grown-up, even if you aren't. Next, you need to find outfits in your closet that fill these requirements. Once you've selected your costume and have managed to stop complaining about the itchiness and tightness of the clothing, you need to sort out two more things. Hair and shoes. Hair is much easier
and more fun than clothing because you can express yourself more in your hair. The way you style your hair is more laid-back: you can do pretty much any style as long as it doesn't look messy, unkempt or extremely crazy. Oh, and remember to put on lots of gel.
Finally, shoes. For women, it's either high heels or flats, but I recommend the flats because the party will be going on for a long time, and you will be standing and talking to many people. An extreme amount of people. As for men, just put on some nice leather shoes. The preferred shoe colour for both is black, but white or other dark colours might also work.
Of course, if you have your own taste for your outfit that still follows your dress code, you should absolutely follow that rather than me. These instructions simply guide those who'd rather go by the book.
What do I bring?
Of course, like when travelling to any place, you'd have to bring a small bag with a water bottle, maybe your wallet, etc., but for a party, you might also have to take other things. First, you may have to bring a meal to the party. If this is the case, and you know you are not a good cook, don't try it. The last thing you want to happen at a business Christmas party is for your colleagues to all get food poisoning and spend the rest of the time in the toilet. Instead, take the easy option and just buy something nice from a restaurant.
Tip! To all the Aussies reading, in case you didn't know already, there is an Australian term to describe bringing a meal to a party. It is "bring a plate". Next time you hear this, ensure you don't bring an empty plate!
Aside from food, you might also have to bring a gift.
Christmas is the holiday of giving, after all. Before I go on with anything, I'll warn you. Don't do anything funny. If you're planning to prank your workmates by giving them bad gifts, don't even think about it. There is a high chance that the people you prank will get very upset and never speak to you again. Then you're never gonna get promoted because you pranked your boss too, and they got so mad that they fired you, and then you got homeless, and then you were miserable for the rest of your life. So just don't. Only attempt things like this with close friends and family.
All you have to do is give a small gift to everyone there, like a candy cane and a card, or give a more significant item to the ones closer to you.
As for what exactly you should gift certain people, that's up to you. How would I know what your colleagues want for Christmas?
How do I act?
Like all the other questions I've answered, this one depends on the situation. You can act like a total monkey at a friend or family member's Christmas party without caring much. But in a work setting, like usual, game faces are on. Almost every sentence that comes out of your mouth will require a please or thank you. Next, you must compliment every single person in some way. "Oh, I love your dress," or "You are rocking that hairdo," or "Your Instagram story from yesterday was brilliant!" You may hate this person altogether, but that's why you have your game face on.
My next piece of advice is to eat like a princess. Your bite size must be equivalent to a millimetre, and even if there are some really spicy ribs on the table, you can't touch any. Those things are just recipes for clothes stains.
Ok, fine, if you're that desperate to eat well, then you may - it is a party, after all - just don't go monster mode.
And finally, laugh at everyone's jokes. Even if you don't get what's so funny, laugh along with everyone else. This laughing strategy also works in other situations when you have no clue what someone's talking about. Just laugh it off, and then quickly try and change the subject.
There are many more things that one has to master before one goes to a party, specifically a work one, like learning to stay awake even while listening to a very dull speech from your boss or how to respectfully leave a conversation. But for now, read what I've already supplied, go to the party, try your best, and most importantly, have fun. Even if you're partying with people you barely know, still try to make the best out of the situation because it is a party, after all.
Come back next time for your next how-to! And I'll try to do a non-Christmas one in case you're getting sick of this kind of thing.
Check in soon!