How to Bring the Christmas Spirit to the Office

As the days get darker and the end of the year draws nearer, there is a certain buzz and energy across the country as the countdown to Christmas starts. Buying gifts for friends and family, spending time with nearest and dearest, and taking days off work, Christmas is an exciting time for everyone. Whether you celebrate it religiously, or are a more traditional Brit who takes part in Christmas time, there’s no denying that everyone enjoys celebrating in December in some form or another.

For most, it’s a time when offices and workplaces wind down and everywhere becomes a bit more relaxed. There are parties, drinks and lots of reasons to clock off or get the team together. Christmas festivities have become a much-anticipated part of the calendar year in offices across the country. If you’re looking to a festive spirit to your office, read on to discover our quick wins at celebrating Christmas in the office…

1) Call Santa in Early: Christmas Giving in the Workplace

Giving and sharing is an integral part of the Christmas spirit and our chance to show appreciation to others for the past year. You can incorporate this part of the Christmas spirit by organising a gift-giving activity a little early. Most commonly, this is usually done the day of the Christmas party of before people’s annual leave starts. The simplest, budget-friendly way businesses do this is through a Secret Santa. This is when everyone draws a name and must buy a gift to a set budget.

Some employers will gift their staff with an advent calendar or chocolate to mark the start of advent on the 1^st December, while others will give a small token of appreciation towards the end of the month. For many businesses, the end of the year marks a time for bonuses so financial or voucher gifts are also a popular way for employers to thank and gift employees.

In recent years, when there has been a big focus on helping the community, some offices host a traditional drive, where employees bring in gifts for a charity that benefits the local community.

2) Deck the Halls: Decorating the Office for Christmas

As humans, we’re all influenced by our environment, decorating the office for Christmas is a sure-fire way to get your whole team excited for the festive season.  Add tinsel, lights and a tree to your office to set the tone and if you want to be inclusive, you can use this as a chance for employees of other religions to bring in decorations for Chanukah or Diwali too.

Make decorating the tree a group activity by asking people to write wishes or notes on homemade decorations. You can also add a bit of competition to your office by asking teams or groups to decorate their areas and then awarding a prize for the best dressed desk.

3) Mark the Calendar: Organise Your Christmas Party

A Christmas or holiday party outside of the regular workday hours can be the focal point of your office celebrations. Depending on office size and budget this can be anything from a dinner or lunch with the team to an organised party to wrap up the year. Parties are often a great way to celebrate the season but also your employees, they allow everyone to relax a little and step away from their working roles and build relationships outside of their teams.

Now more than ever, with more people working from home throughout the week, it’s a great opportunity to get your entire staff together. Some businesses even

An office Christmas party can be something your entire office looks forward to attending and provides collective excitement. It’s a monumental way to incorporate the Christmas spirit into the workplace. Try to be inclusive to other religions and times of booked holidays of your co-workers when planning an end of year party to ensure that the entire staff can attend.

4) Flaunt the Christmas Jingles: Christmas Music for the Office

There is no denying the power of Christmas music to instantly uplift listeners. Whether you love or hate them, they become a talking point and matter of debate, instantly bringing people together. If your office allows, and it doesn’t affect productivity, playing Christmas music throughout December always makes for a nice festive addition to the workday. You can encourage your staff to get involved by creating a shared playlist or having a suggestions box of what can be played, when.

5) Get Dressed Up: Christmas Jumper Day in the Office

The official Christmas jumper day is on 8^th December this year. Usually schools and offices participating ask for donations which are then given to Save the Children charity. If you miss it or are unable to do this, host your own themed festive jumper day. Make it more fun by providing a theme i.e. homemade jumper or offering a prize for the best festive fancy dress look. You can also incorporate charity by getting people to donate when they choose to dress festive.

6) Play Hide and Seek: Office Elf on the Shelf

Elf on the Shelf is a Christmas tradition usually for children. It involves a cheeky elf who gets up to no good at night and each morning can be found in a different place. While this can be innocent for children, that doesn’t mean you can’t bring an elf into work to make each day a bit more exciting. Nominate one team member to hide the elf each night and turn it into a competition as to who can find the elf first every morning.

Does your workplace have any festive traditions? How will you be celebrating Christmas in the office this year? Drop a comment below to share your ideas…

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