Christmas party etiquette: 圣诞派对礼仪

Office Christmas parties usually take place in early mid December: 公司圣诞派对一般都在12月中上旬
Usually at work, you'll have an office Christmas party, but not a New Year's party: 通常，公司会有圣诞派对，但可能没有新年派对
People are not working during the New Year: 大家新年都放假了
When it gets closer to Christmas, many people are travelling home, so you need to hold parties earlier: 临近圣诞，大家都要回家过节，所以要提前办，方便大家参与

“提前”英语怎么说？
Hold the party earlier
不是in advance?
In advance通产用在预定机票这样的搭配里，而不是办派对 
Book your tickets in advance

Party RSVP: 收到派对邀约, 先要RSVP

With any party or event invitation, you usually need to RSVP: 派对、活动邀约，通常都需要RSVP
＊RSVP来自法语的Répondez s'il vous plaît Please respond的意思，即确认出席＊
在邀请函上，你通常会看到：
Please kindly RSVP by ...date: 请在某某日期前，确认出席
Digital invitation/e-invite: 电子邀请函
Mandatory attendance: 强制出席

Party dress code: 派对穿什么？

Dress code: 着装要求
Many parties and events will have a dress code: 很多派对、活动会有着装要求
总体可分为：
1) Casual: 休闲
2) Formal: 正式

先说休闲，也有很多类：
Business casual: 商务休闲，通常要穿西服外套
Smart casual: 雅痞休闲，不用穿西服外套也Ok
Casual: 最休闲的

Jacket/blazer：西服上装外套
Suit: 整套西服
You usually don't need to wear a tie for business or smart casual: 通常这两种休闲都不需要带领带。穿比较好的西服外套、配合身的深色牛仔裤就可以
但是，鞋子很重要！
You need to wear dress shoes: 要穿正装皮鞋
＊这里的dress不是指裙子，而是正装的意思＊
Leather shoes: 皮鞋

说完休闲，说正式：
Formal: 正式
Black tie: 最正式的，通常指宴会，比一般西服更加隆重的黑西服、黑领带、或者领结
Black tie doesn't mean you can only wear ties in black: 黑领带也不是说一定要黑色的领带
Black is the safest, other dark colors are fine: 黑色最安全，其它深色也可以
Black tie means dressed up: black tie的寓意就是正装
Dressed-up: 隆重打扮、盛装出席
Bow tie：领结
Tuxedo/tux: 晚装西服，比如结婚的时候会穿的那种

Party dresses for the ladies: 各类女生小裙子

LBD (little black dress)：小黑裙，经典不出错
LRD (little red dress): 小红裙，圣诞派对的绝佳选择
Cocktail dress/one piece: 派对小裙子，连衣裙
Knee length dress:  及膝裙
Floor length dress: 拖地长裙
Evening gown: 晚装礼服裙

挑选圣诞派对着装时，也可以融入各种圣诞颜色：
Christmas colors: 圣诞色
Doesn't have to be red and green: 不一定要红配绿一起穿
Choose what you look good in: 选一个你穿着好看的颜色
Balance it out with some white: 可以用白色缓和一下

The ugly Christmas sweater: 很丑的圣诞毛衣 

很多圣诞派对，会有这个搞笑的dress code:
The ugly Christmas sweaters: 很丑的圣诞毛衣

They look like a Christmas card: 这种毛衣看上去就像一张圣诞卡
Very busy, lots of Christmas elements: 非常热闹、集合了各种圣诞元素
The point is to be ugly and funny: 重点就是要难看、要搞笑
The uglier, the better: 越丑越好

Party gift exchanges: 圣诞派对送礼游戏
这两个圣诞送礼游戏，你一定要知道：
1) Secret Santa: 神秘圣诞老人
2) White Elephant: 白色大象

What's Secret Santa? 神秘圣诞老人

Draw a name, buy them a gift, you're their secret Santa: 预先抽一个同事或朋友的名字，你要给他／她买礼物，你是他们的神秘圣诞老人
思考一下：
What are they like? 他／她是什么样的人？
What will they like? 会喜欢什么东西？
The person receiving the gift need to guess who their secret Santa is: 收到礼物的人要猜礼物是谁买的
But you can also keep it a secret: 但是也可以保守秘密

What's White Elephant? 白色大象是什么？

Everyone buys a gift and brings it to the party: 每人买一个礼物，带到派对来
Put all the gifts together: 所有礼物集合在一起
Each person has a chance to pick or "steal" a gift: 每个人有机会选、抢一个礼物
If you go first, you're screwed because someone else can steal it from you: 先选的人最倒霉，因为其他人可以抢你的礼物
The important thing is to decide who goes first: 拿礼物的先后顺序很重要
Paper rock scissors: 石头剪刀布

＊你知道这个游戏为什么叫"white elephant"吗? 

Gift budget: 花多少钱买礼物？

Gift budget: 礼物预算
20 dollars is a common budget for office or social Christmas parties: 公司或社交类的圣诞派对，20美金是个普遍的预算

Two main styles of gifts: 买什么礼物？两大套路

由于圣诞派对上送礼有游戏属性，所以买礼物第一不用太贵；
风格则可以二选一：
Practical: 实用
Prank: 创意或恶搞
或者像Adam那样买一袋大米(a huge bag of rice), 合二为一、一举两得

Don't party too hard: 不要玩太疯

Generally speaking, performances are not part of Christmas parties: 一般圣诞派对参与者不需要表演
The tone of Christmas parties is more warm, friendly, enjoy people's company: 圣诞派对的基调一般比较温馨、友爱、陪伴
Don't drink too much or party too hard: 别喝太多、玩儿太疯
New Year's party is more about crazy partying and lots of drinking: 之后的元旦派对就比较疯狂、喝很多
“玩儿得很疯”有两个有趣的说法，都和town有关：
Go to town
Paint the town red

What to say? 圣诞祝福说什么？

Christmas greetings and wishes: 圣诞祝福语

最好用的当然就是：
Merry Christmas！ 
可以说Merry X'mas吗？
X'mas通常用于非正式的书写，口语还是Christmas更常用

这几年，美国也有很多人说：Happy Holidays! 节日快乐

Since not everyone is a Christian: 因为不是所有人都信基督教
It's very PC (politically correct): 是个很政治正确的说法
But it makes some people really angry because they see their religion and culture not being respected: 但这也让很多人很生气，觉得自己的信仰被侵蚀

Say both! 那就两个都说吧！
Merry Christmas and happy holidays!