As with any holiday, an office Christmas should be a celebration and not a stage to outdo each other. If competition runs high in the work environment, consider waving the idea of a gift exchange and just have a simple celebration. Also, recognize that not everyone in your workplace might celebrate a certain holiday. You do not have to politically correct and have just one celebration termed "the office holiday party," but instead recognize individuals at the appropriate time of their corresponding day or days, such as during the days of Hanukkah. If this is not an option, then try to pick a day at random to celebrate all occasions of the season and let everyone know it as just that, a celebration for ALL reasons for the season. If the idea of including multiple religions into a celebration is just too much to handle because of a heated work enviroment where offense is easily taken, then just consider personal greeting cards for each person with perhaps a small gift. When in doubt, an office Christmas party should be nixed if it is more trouble than it is worth.
An individual's office Christmas party as opposed to a companywide office Christmas party may be an alternative to a problematic party if one wants to take on the responsibility. This can be a daunting task in a season where people perpetually run short on time without adding more headaches to their agenda. Good planning and allowing for snafus can save a lot of stress and headaches if this idea is ventured. Again, despite being a holiday party or strictly a Christmas party, make sure no one feels slighted or left out. Making a list of people and party needs, and keeping everything in one place in an organized way, can be a big help to planning the perfect office Xmas party.
When planning, try to take care of location first. This will help decide how many people should be invited. If the location is one that needs to be reserved and paid for, do so as soon as possible. After reserving the location, make a guest list and begin mailing invitations. Mail out invites at least four or five weeks prior to the party, and remember that many parties will be going on at that time. Do not feel disappointed if only half the guests reply with a positive response. Giving guests a deadline of ten days before the party will also help ease planning headaches during the busy holiday season. Set this list of attendees aside for later; if the opportunity presents itself, and you are feeling the holiday season, you might purchase a few small gifts.
Next, worry about the food. Food that will not spoil and alcohol or other beverages can be purchased at any time and stored, so long as there is ample room to accommodate the items in your abode. If there is an issue about the office Christmas celebration getting out of control, then forget the alcohol. In the same respect, letting guests know that alcohol will be present is a responsible way to host the pasrty. Be sure if serving liquor that proper measures can be taken to make sure everyone returns to their homes safely. If it is getting down to crunch time and price is not an issue, consider having the party catered or ordering some of the food from a local delicatessen. Try to make sure there is a variety of food, whatever degree of party is being held, so that guests will be happy. This does not mean having to spend a fortune.
One fun ideas for the party would be a gift exchange where each person brings a wrapped gift and there is a swap. Another, providing everyone will not be offended, would be some sort of office trivia game. Check with a local party supply store for some great ideas. Anything is fine so long as everyone is having a good time and no one is offended. The offense factor can be a big problem in any type of work-related gathering.
Consider putting on invitations or spreading by word of mouth that this is a work-related party, but the office politics are not welcome. The whole idea of a party is to have fun and celebrate the holiday season, and guests should be reminded of that. Holidays can be stressful enough without added drama. Plan your party [and guest list] with care, and it should be a very merry Christmas party!