What makes for the perfect Christmas party?

A Merry Christmas from Our Long Walk

Christmas is a time for families and friends to reconnect. Many in South Africa’s cities escape to the coast to join grandparents along the many beach towns of the country’s long coastline. Others temporarily migrate to more rural areas to join extended families for a few weeks before returning to face the realities of life again. And those who choose to stay often do fun things with friends and family, usually involving too much food and drink.

But for most of us, December 25 is preceded by several ‘Christmas farewell’ events. Supermarkets already unravel their Christmas decorations by the end of October. By November, the boss might organise an end-of-year farewell that serves the dual role of a Christmas party. In early December, our church cell, book club, or sports team might all find reasons to have a get-together before the long summer break. By the time Christmas arrives, it can feel like an after-party.

And yet, we go through the same ritual every year, which suggests that there is some utility to be gained from organising these parties. But Hannes Zacher, in a research report published in Nature earlier this year, argues that not everyone enjoys them to the same extent.

Now, before I get to the results, it is perhaps worthwhile addressing the elephant in the room: of all the questions in science we still do not know the answer to, is ‘What makes for a great Christmas party?’ really that high on our list of priorities? Put differently: should we really be spending hard-earned taxes on answering this question instead of, say, psychologists pondering the nature of consciousness, or economists uncovering the roots of prosperity, or astrobiologists asking whether we are alone in the universe? Let me just say this: I suspect more people care about the answer to the Christmas question than the other three combined.

In 2019, Zacher recruited 800 employees from a nationally representative online panel in Germany. 359 answered that they had attended a company Christmas party in December 2018. He then tested individual, organisational and event characteristics against employee happiness with what he calls ‘this special, and typically fun and meaningful, annual event’.

On an individual level, he finds that employees who have a personal investment in the event, either through direct involvement in planning or a deeper connection with their organisation, generally report higher happiness levels. He also finds that organisations that prioritise human relationships and maintain a positive internal environment tend to host more satisfying Christmas parties. A company’s ethos and values can significantly shape employee experiences at these social events.

Focusing on the Christmas parties themselves, Zacher finds that the variety of engaging activities, the quality of motivational speeches, and a thoughtful selection of food and beverages, including options for alcohol and non-alcoholic drinks, are linked with greater enjoyment. Conversely, the prevalence of heavy drinking and inappropriate behaviour are associated with decreased satisfaction.

Not exactly rocket science. Next time astrobiologists ponder the merits of their scientific endeavours, perhaps they should reflect on the following wisdom: Why did the alien go to the Christmas party?

Because he heard the atmosphere was out of this world.

‘What makes for the perfect Christmas party?’ was first published on Our Long Walk. Support more such writing by signing up for a paid subscription. The image was created with Midjourney v5.2.