Remember when we’d stuff ourselves into heels and hose, shimmy into a sequined dress and go crush our office parties in our mind vises? Or dredge up an ugly holiday sweater because the HR team insisted that it’d be fun to have a cookie exchange while wearing said ugly sweater?

So do we.

This year just keeps coming, for both the sacred and profane. The office holiday party falls under “profane” in that dichotomy. 

Cheer up. You’re not throwing—or attending—a holiday bash at the Candy Room or Bad Luck Bar this year that ends with witnessing something terribly awkward occurring between coworkers or with a vicious hangover from one too many gin fizzes. 

But this holiday party season doesn’t have to be terrible. In fact, there’s a silver lining — because we don’t have to cram multiple trips across town, or figure out who the DD is or deal with low-key weirdness from colleagues. 

Stuck with the responsibility of planning a last-minute holiday cocktail party for your friend group or work? Consider ordering delivery or pick-up from the same restaurant, sharing drink recipes and keeping it short and sweet. Some local bars are still offering drinks kits that would make for perfect holiday favors. Keep it simple. Make sure that the office is footing the bill, because there’s nothing like forced fun combined with forced payment to make your team turn on you. We know you wouldn’t, but just saying…

Get dressed up and fix your lighting. Yes. We know that sparkly dress (or suit) is still lurking at the back of your closet. Consider the power of a fresh lip color. Just because you’ve been staying at home since March doesn’t mean you can’t look awesome for a quick online gathering. That said, it’s 2020 and you are a hero for showing up and sweatpants and slippers are comfy and reasonable options in this hellscape of a year. 

Keep it simple and remember why you’re gathering. Your employees don’t want to be on yet another awkward Zoom call. Schedule it for 30 minutes or less. Trivia is generally a safe bet, if you want to add a forced funtivity that doesn’t require too much effort. Make it during office hours, because guess what, your team aren’t leaving their houses and they probably have pets and humans to attend to when they’re wrapped up for the day. 

Buh-bye, in-person office holiday parties that never seemed to end, except with your boss insisting you do shots with him. Hello to thoughtful and brief Zoom gatherings that don’t leave us with migraines, hangovers or the urge to scream into the abyss. Well. Maybe the last one is still valid. It is 2020 after all. 

Got creative holiday party plans? Tag us on Insta or Twitter.