How many people actually have *parties* at Christmas?

[QueenoftheNights]

The medi a is full of pary food, party frocks and 'how to behave at a party'.

I don't know anyone who has a party.
Most people I know catch up on sleep, have close family round for a couple of days, slouch about in their oldest comfy clothes, watch telly and cannot be arsed with the idea of party .

Who and where are all these party people buying canapes and wafting about in velvet dresses?

I hosted a drinks party at home last Christmas. I live alone and had not long moved so I wanted to meet the neighbours. People wore Christmas jumpers (not velvet gowns!) and the vicar's wife came in a full elf costume (which was slightly hilarious as she was nearly 80), and we all drank mulled wine and prosecco and ate blinis with smoked salmon and cheese and crackers followed by brownies or mince pies. No-one was driving, it was nice.

Went on a few hours.

Not sure I've ever been invited to a Christmas soiree myself though.

I'm undecided whether to do it again, I liked it but I was working part time last year so it was easy. This year would be different.

"I just don't like parties- talking to people you hardly know, balancing a canape and a glass and smiling all night long and desperate to get your heels off."
You're going to the wrong parties

I'd generally expect at least one pre-Christmas party invite (the Friday/Saturday before), NYE of course, then I often have an end of holidays party at mine. Only invite friends and neighbours (variations on a theme between each party depending on host), everyone brings some food & wine/beer (mostly crisps/dips/sausage rolls/cake end of the spectrum), generally a fire outdoors for the smokers & those who want a break from loud music, & a good time is had by all... (And no heels - crap to dance in) I definitely reckon Christmas is the best opportunity to dig out the sparkliest things I can find :)

I am...well it’ll probably be on the 29/30th...there’s 2 birthdays in our friendship group that week and now we’ve gained DC/babies it’s easier than meeting in a restaurant. I’m really looking forward to it. I like hosting.

Plus 2 Christmas meals with groups of friends.

We'll probably do an at home or party between Christmas and new year - especially as for once we're not hosting either this year. We've also got individual work 'dos' and I have a couple of supplier drinks parties which are on the cards. DH's football team will have drinks, and I'll probably see some friends for Christmas drinks too.

When I lived at home the neighbours were very sociable, lots of parties over the years. A regular was the Epiphany party every year when the same people got drunk, lay on the floor or touched up other people. Some did all three.

Reading this thread makes me think I might have a small soirée this year.

We got to quite a few but new year's is the the biggie.

I often do. Thinking about organising a mince pies and mulled wine party for this year. Have had quite a lot of Christmas parties in my time!

I'd like a Christmas party, but it would be a waste. Nobody turned up for my birthday one

I hold an annual one. Also attend another party with different group of friends

I have 2 work parties and 2 parties at friends houses before Xmas, I shall be wafting about in sequins and eating canapés! Can't wait. X

Our friends have a rock/punk/ indie party every year in one of their barns. I love it.
We take turns to host for our family on Boxing Day.
A couple of drinks round other people's.
They are the only ones at home - we are going to about ten different other night outs between 1st December to 1st January.
Any excuse for party excess here.

I love the Christmas social season. I get to see lots of friends at Xmas parties without having to organise it .
We went to about 10 last year (soirées , dinner parties and night and work parties) and hosted one .
Tis the season.....

We just buy the party food and share it with the family at home.
No big parties or party frocks here.

I have a party on NYE. But no frock, it will be a pair of jeans and my slippers at my pal’s house. We do casual.

We usually host a family party and at least one friends party every Christmas. We’ve had one invitation already and I expect at least two more.

I’m not sure I’ve seen a velvet party dress since the 80s though...

I have parties quite often! I have a big space to entertain and love having friends here. Birthdays, New Year, summer parties etc etc. I love to host though - lots of people hate it.

But if people hate parties they can stay at home .... nobody will mind .
Parties are for fun not duty .
And I always dress up ...no velvet or sequins though.

“I don't know anyone who has a party.”

Neither do I, or maybe they do and we just don’t get invited. We don’t have parties either. I am going to the work do, and that is it. I might do something with the neighbours this year. We are very friendly with three sets of neighbours.

I have pale cream carpets and a smallish house. Neither is suitable for a party. We do a family thing of course but half my relatives live at the other end of the country and can't travel.

My son's birthday is December 23rd and we always have an "open house" party on that day every year. He's 19 this year and it is the established "start of Christmas" in our circle. No velvet frocks, heels or canapes, just a huge chilli, plentiful alcohol and a lot of sausage rolls!

I've often wondered about this - I'm Jewish and don't celebrate, but most of my mates aren't Jewish and people seldom do parties, and never dress-up formal fancy-food ones, so this whole 'sparkly party dress' thing does feel like a leftover from another era really.

I think the sparkly dress plugging is just retailers being desperate . Anyone with any style would not wear sequins or velvet !!

I haven’t been to a Christmas party in years. They seemed to be a big thing in the 80s when quite a few neighbours and family would have them. They’d get quite drunk and many sausage rolls would be eaten. Maybe people are less social now? Our house is too small for partying and many of my friends live in tiny flats, so house parties don’t really happen anymore.

I don’t have any parties this year. I’m self employed so might just drink a bottle of gin on the sofa. Even New Years is out as I don’t have a babysitter.

I thought loads of work places had Xmas parties? I've been to my sister's house for parties in the past but they're more of a piss-up and order out for a pizza kind of thing. No canapes or hors d'oeuvres or anything like that. As for clothes, it's more 'jeans and Xmas jumper' than 'sparkly party dress and stiletto shoes'.

I like hosting parties-most likely a NYE although sometimes before. But yes ofen people say they are just having a quiet night with family etc so decline.