How do people feel about the work's Christmas party?

[username57888]

The annual Christmas party a chance for everyone to get together and have a good time or is it ?
This year I'm in two minds to go .
Pros :it'll be nice to dress up and go out have a drink and have fun.
It'll be a good party ,food , dancing etc .
If I don't go I'll have Fomo !
Also feel I'll be a bit of a miserable sod just saying no I'm not going then I'll be a miffed I've missed out .
It's paid for by the company so just taxi to pay for and maybe 1 or 2 drinks ( should be wine on tables) .
Cons : it's a Friday night so usually I want to get home get pjs on and relax .
As much as I like most of my colleagues they are not my friends so worried about awkwardness who to sit with chat to etc .
Getting home on a weekend near Christmas.
I'm not great with hangovers at my age yes I know I don't have to drink but it's a Christmas party .
Can I actually be bothered .
Reading this I realise I sound a right miser and years ago I couldn't wait for the Christmas party but now I feel a bit unsure .
Anyone else going if so why or why not?

I feel the same but I'll be going as I do every year because I always enjoy it once I'm there and I'm on drink number 3

Mine are a little cringey in that they generally have some game / activity designed to make you talk to each other 🙄 but when that's done, drinks and dancing generally equal a good night (and I do a deal with DH that we'll each be the others taxi home for our work parties).

It's a thing to be avoided at all costs (and I LOVE Christmas).

I'm lucky that my colleagues have bad memories so I'll be wearing what I wore last year fat permitting. I enjoy the meal but that's it. The other day someone mentioned going on for karaoke, I went cold. I don't drink, don't dance, don't sing and I can't hear conversations in noisy environments. Bundle of laughs I am .

Love them and can't wait for mine.
I like my colleagues and I like going out so it's all good.

Obviously if you work with awful or boring people that's different,

I really love ours. It’s a fancy affair - black tie, free bar, tasting menu etc. Everyone goes in to the City afterwards and we dance until around 6am. It’s a good laugh.

I'm not going this year. I've been to 7 so far at this company and really can't face another one

I'm looking forward to it, but waiting for my 2 badly organised bosses to organise it.
Last year we had to have it on Dec 1st as we left it so late there were no other dates left

Yours sounds like one I wouldn't go to tbh. Mine is a meal for my team of 8, all of whom I really like. I reckon I can be in bed by 10! 😊

I think I feel anxious because deep down I'm still that shy kid that is worried no one will talk to me .
Although most people wouldn't believe I'm shy or insecure but I suppose we all are a little . For that reason I like to force myself to do things I'm nervous about . I know I'll enjoy it when I'm there and I suppose if I don't I can leave early .

Don't go. Have hearing problem so can't hear conversation over pretty much any music. Can't drink as live too far away from work/colleagues to get public transport home. Pretty much broke all the time. Love my colleagues but I reckon 8/9 hours a day with them, 5 days a week is enough.

I like the people I work with so if it's just a meal out I don't mind going. This year's plan is one of those Organised Fun and Entertainment things, with music and dancing and shit food, at some out of town hellhole. I know how bad it is because DH's work went there last year. Fortunately our work dos clash this year, and we've each blamed the other's prior commitment to get out of both of them!

I quite like my work colleagues, they’re a fun bunch.
This year, a group of us started socialising outside work, about once a month we meet up and do ‘something’.
Feels natural that the ‘December meet up’ is a Christmas party. We’re going to be cheeky though and sit together. I bought a beautiful dress for it, it’s an occasion to dress up a bit.

I don’t do it every year, but this year I am looking forward to it.

Can't be arsed with ours. We're NHS and so have to pay for our own, and the woman who organised it has chosen a pub in the middle of nowhere that wants £34.99 a head, and only has a one star food hygiene rating. Then would have to pay for a taxi on top (or being boringly sober and drive myself), plus drinks. Plus it'll all be shop talk and work related bitching, and everyone will gossip about what everyone did / said afterwards. So nope. Would rather spend Friday evening at home in my PJs with DH and the kids.

Love our Xmas parties. Free food and drink. Work colleagues are fabulous. Looking forward to it.

I'm very sociable and am very fond of my colleagues (we do go out regularly after work but that's just local for drinks and a meal, no dressing up or travel). Ours is always on a Saturday and usually on the night of the Strictly final, in a hotel miles away with not great food, loud music and inaccessible by public transport. I'd rather watch Strictly in my pjs with the DCs and a takeaway TBH. The only thing I like is meeting up with everyone's partners who we might not see during the year.

As KitKat . NHS and have to fund it ourselves. I really don’t want to spend a lot of money having an evening with people I see all day in loud and shouty places. I have stopped going. No one minds.

I'd go if it's put on and paid for. It's nice that someone's taken the time to try and organise something fun! Could you go for a short while?

My place of work is local government and so they don't pay for us to have anything. Our team might arrange to go out for a meal, it won't be that fun and will cost us each at least £25. Nothing embarrassing or funny ever happens. I've always been but this year I'm pregnant so will give it a miss.

Public sector here so have to pay ourselves. Didn’t go last year for the first time ever and it was great!

Hideous, absolutely hideous and I don’t go, ever.
NHS so pay for ourselves, overpriced, overbearing, I just can’t afford it, it’s all just too much.
Also someone has to work that night/evening of the do, I’m happy to do that shift so those who want to go can go.

Appallingly expensive shite.

Love a good party. Ours is at a push place, meal and wine paid for, close to my home. Why would I not?

I find it a real struggle, forced myself last year but can’t face it again this year.

I never go. I'm very solitary and start losing the plot after a work day around other people, I desperately need to be alone by 5pm.

I'm also not a fan of crowds, loud music or dancing. 🤟

Ah I absolutely love ours! I work in a builders merchants, the guys I work with are all great craic and love a drink and there’s always plenty of booze and dancing. This year, our Christmas do happens to fall on my last working day at the company, and I am honestly concerned I’ll end up in floods over leaving, but it’ll be great fun regardless.

I don't enjoy parties (although I like my colleagues) and am also in the public sector so would have to pay for myself and therefore don't usually go.

Totally agree with everything you’ve said OP!