How To Survive A Work Christmas Party

My husband is in the Air Force and has a squadron Christmas party every year. I won't lie, the last time we went was five years ago.

This is because we aren't social people. We prefer to stay at home. And there's nothing wrong with that. But when my husband has skipped his Christmas party, people make comments like, "Man, why didn't you go?" or, "You really should support the squadron and make an appearance."

I do not like to dress up. I do not wear a lot of make up. I do not wear heels. Basically I am not girly at all. So having to dress up is a challenge for me. And having to socialize when I'd rather be reading is tricky.

But I have some tips if a Christmas party isn't your thing either.

1. Stay comfortable. Seriously. If you don't like heels, don't wear them. No one is forcing you to put on the torture devices. I walk like this in heels:

So I knew I'd prefer flats. And I found a pair.

2. Don't cake your face with makeup. I never understand the women who do this. It's distracting to me. Plus it seems like they're forever running to the bathroom throughout the party to fix it all.

My face was like this:

And if people can taste your perfume, you're wearing too much.



3. Enjoy the food!

There was a pasta buffet at the party. I love my carbs, so I loaded my plate. You don't have to eat like a bird or pretend you don't eat. I promise, pasta makes everything better.

4. Stay true to who you are.

I brought my book purse! Society might say that I should bring a fancy sparkly one, but I don't care. I love to read, I love books, thus my book purse joined me.

4. Say "ahhh" every couple of minutes to appear interested in the conversation even if you're not. 

You might get that person who goes on about her MLM business. "And if you join, you can get leggings for free and bonus, the leggings are made with quality fabrics..." It's okay to say no thank you. And it's okay to remind them that it's not the best place to talk about selling crap.



5. You don't have to join in if it's a themed party.

Apparently the Christmas party was a masquerade one. My husband failed to tell me this. He also failed to tell me what exactly the kids would be doing. We brought our daughter because she's too young to be home alone and her teenaged brother with autism wouldn't pay attention to her. There was a separate area for childcare so I was like, "What will she be fed for dinner?"

Husband was like:

I asked, "What will she be doing?"

Husband was like:

I was all, "Did you ask ANY questions about what our child would be doing and who will be watching her?"

Husband was like:

Ugh. Anyway, my daughter ended up having fun and eating pasta like us. And I did not put on the masquerade mask because quite frankly, I paid to be there and I didn't want to. Most people actually didn't put one on either. Don't feel pressured. There were also games and if you don't want to play and would rather observe, say it. No sense in being uncomfortable.


6. If all else fails, there's usually a bar.

Yup. Just don't completely lose it and embarrass yourself. Or your spouse. If you do, you might end up on YouTube or in a meme on how NOT to behave at a party. I'm just warning you.



And that, my friends, is how you survive a work Christmas party.

Do you enjoy work holiday parties?