The festive season is officially upon us. If you work by the Supermarkets calendars it has been with us since before Halloween, but with Christmas adverts on television, decorations appearing in office buildings and through the piped Christmas carols in every store you know that it is now the season to be jolly.
One of the truisms of the holiday season is the amount of invites that pile into your calendar, from festive catch-ups to full blown Black Tie Events. It is the silly season, and if you are like me there will be some nights where you have 3 events on at the same time and some nights none, or you might even be out every night between now and Christmas Day.
So I thought a handy few tips to surviving the endless rounds of drinks, canapes and parties.
A Gentleman’s tips to surviving the Festive Party Season:
– Plan your events the week before, so you know what you are wearing and where you are going.
– The same is true for the evening itself, if you have many parties, end up at the one you want to stay at longest.
– If you can’t go say so early, it is polite and frees up the space for other guests.
– A Gentleman should always wear a proper tied bow tie, it looks good done up and towards the end of a night you can undo it and look good too.
– Always have a spare dress shirt clean and ready for you never know when that accidental red wine spillage will occur.
– As always drink in moderation, pay close attention to the how many times the waiter comes round to top up the Champagne. You might have a long night ahead of you and you never know whom you might meet.
– Refrain from scoffing the canapes, if you think it’s going to be a long night of drinks, try and have a snack before you get there, or indeed a large lunch.
– If its a small group of friends you know well, it might be a good time to hand out your Christmas cards.
– Afterwards, do thank the hosts. A handwritten card is preferable but an email will suffice.
I hope these few tips make your silly season a little less silly and a tad more smooth.
Respectfully yours as always,
