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34 Times When Work Christmas Parties Turned Into The Wildest Stories Ever
Interview With Expert
When I was new to the corporate world and attended my first-ever work party, my mind was completely blown. It was pretty hilarious to watch everyone switch off their professional mode and turn on their wild mode, and boy, I was not even prepared for it.
I guess, no matter the place, people acting crazy at a corporate party is universal. When a Reddit user asked folks to share some of the wildest things they had seen at office Christmas parties, they didn’t hold back. Some of these tales will definitely bring tears of laughter, so just scroll down to check them out!
More info: Reddit
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#1
University department Christmas party. A tenured male 83 year old professor got tipsy and sat in a 19 year old female intern's lap. After everyone saw him safely swept away in a cab, the grad students set up an impromptu croquet game in the hallway with beer bottles. It was the Slavic department. I played an accordion song that night. It was a time.
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#2
Worked for a very large Japanese company. Company party is where I learned that in Japan it is an insult to not get completely wasted when they throw a party. Management that was usually very uptight were completely unhinged. Back to normal on Monday.
Earonn - 2 hours ago
Yeah, nah. Idgaf about traditional insults, I will not drink myself into a stupor in a room full of men I don't trust 1000%. Tells something about people if they are uptight and then want to get wasted to get uninhibited. They can swing between extremes, I don't need that.
#3
One of our managers was so incensed that only for the first hour was booze covered by the corporate tab. Beer and wine was covered for the whole party but this Christmas event was for a brewery. Manager was all "I don't want free beer I want booze." Decided that his best move was to load up on booze in the one hour. Double shot after double shot as some form of protest. The protest being that the rule promoted dangerous drinking behavior.
He got carted out about 15 minutes after the hour was up. Around 7 PM.
Me, the manager was me.
As you scroll through, some are truly funny, but some take things to a risky level. From love affairs to insults, these tales truly make you question how professional places turn chaotic within the blink of an eye. To understand more about the corporate environment during such times, Bored Panda got in touch with Apoorva Kale, an industrial and organizational psychology practitioner.
She claimed that boundaries often blur between bosses and employees at holiday parties because the setting signals a temporary break from normal workplace rules. Moreover, she believes that decorations, music, alcohol, and the absence of desks all cue people to relax, which can lower self-control and make professional roles feel less rigid.
"At the same time, power dynamics don’t disappear; rather, they just become less visible. When leaders socialize as 'just another coworker,' employees may feel permission to act more casually, while managers may underestimate how their behavior still carries weight. The result is a mix of loosened inhibitions and unchanged hierarchy, which is where boundaries most often slip," she added.
#4
Huge company, global, you’ve heard of it, offices in every country basically.
Our state had a company Christmas party for the employees in the entire state and everyone from the grunts to the top leaders showed up.
One guy and his date were at a table full of just-barely-above-interns and the date was trying to convince the guy to hit the dance floor. She kept assuring him the dance floor was too big for anyone to notice him, he kept saying he was a terrible and embarrassing dancer. She assured him she’d love him no matter how bad he danced and nobody would make fun of him. All the table agreed and kept chanting “dance Jackson! Dance!” While his friends hooted that he must be really terrible if he was fighting this hard.
Night goes on, and after a few hours he finally joins his date on the dance floor.
The CEO quietly walks behind them and as he’s walking by says “Wow Jackson you really can’t dance”. Never even broke his stride.
Anyways turned out well for Jackson because the CEO learned his name from that and watched his work, liked what he saw, and over the next few years he ended up getting promoted to mid level before being poached by another company and now is upper management.
He did actually really suck at dancing too.
#5
Two junior accountants, both quiet types, got into a screaming match over who was the bigger Nickelback fan. It ended with one of them throwing a plate of mini quiches at the other. Security had to separate them. Best party ever.
#6
Me. I’m the wildest thing that ever happened at a company holiday party. I worked the closing shift, so arrived late after all the food and drinks were done. Stone cold sober I hit the dancefloor and soon broke a sweat. I wore a silicone breast prosthetic in my left bra cup due to Poland Syndrome. I glanced down and noticed it was no longer in place and had slid out under my dress and disappeared onto the crowded dancefloor. I swiftly pulled a ninja exit and slipped out of the party.
Next business day, coworkers were talking about the dancefloor turning into a slip n slide for some unknown reason, wreaking havoc at the party. No one was seriously injured, but that’s my confession for today.
We also conversed with our expert about how power dynamics play a huge role in shaping behavior at work events. Authority and hierarchy don’t disappear just because the setting is informal. She explained that "employees often feel pressure to go along with, laugh at, or even participate in the actions of senior leaders, fearing negative judgment or career consequences if they resist."
"At the same time, managers and executives may feel freer to push boundaries, thinking their position gives them leeway that others don’t have. This imbalance can lead to risky or inappropriate behavior on both sides: employees may tolerate or mirror conduct they’d normally avoid, while leaders may overstep, unaware of their influence," Apoorva expressed.
According to her, the mix of lowered inhibitions, social expectations, and uneven power creates a perfect environment for unforgettable, and sometimes regrettable, moments that ripple through the workplace long after the party ends.
#7
My husband was a research scientist for a big pharmaceutical company. Most of his colleagues were PhD level, kind of geeky, serious, bit pudgy, wore glasses. But at the Christas party at a fancy hotel the bar was open. The DJ started playing “Who let the dogs out? These people let loose.
#8
This girl got wasted, accidentally flashed 😺, knocked over a table of drinks. Then proceeds to make out outside against the window of the bar where everyone could see with a fellow coworker. She was kinda new, still works there 20 years later, that guy is married to her best friend now. They all work there.
#9
Open bar so everybody was wasted. One woman, recently divorced was taking on all comers in the venue's toilets.
The Sales exec had white powder all under his nose, and stopped even bothering to go to the bathroom to do a line. Was cutting it up on the table in the middle of the party.
The boss's wife was in a smaller room, but by no means private or empty, getting it on with a 20 year old intern. The boss was in another room with a young secretary getting up to much the same.
Eventually the boss stumbled upon his wife and they had a stand up screaming match while the intern zipped up and slunk off.
Several people smoking cigars in a room and refusing to take them outside. They somehow managed to set the curtains on fire.
More than one person passed out, including a lady who was found by the cleaners the next day asleep behind a couch.
The venue staff just gave up after a while. Especially as a long termer explained that this was pretty much par for the course, and the only reason we'd booked the venue was because our company was banned from pretty much everywhere else.
The bit that stands out, though, is the middle-aged nerdy accountant type who chucked a wobbly about 3:00 in the morning when the staff locked the bars down and refused to serve any more booze.
He got so angry that he jumped up on a table, dropped his trousers, and defecated. The table overbalanced half way through and he struggled to get back up because his trousers were knotted around his ankles.
Most people were gone or passed out at this point but those of us left just watched and cheered him on. The staff were shouting at him but none of them would go near him because of the dump everwhere.
While the staff were busy with that some of us managed to get back into the locked bar and stole a lot of bottles of spirits, and beer, and random bottles of stuff in a big plastic tub and get it into one of the bedrooms where the party continued.
Two weeks later, everybody back at work, no-one ever mentioned it again until next December when it was fondly remembered as the year to beat.
Good times, folks, good times.
Apoorva also noted that wild Christmas party stories often act as a mirror reflecting a company’s culture. According to her, they can reveal how relaxed or reckless boundaries are, how leadership interacts with employees, and whether social norms encourage inclusivity or enable excess.
"Even a single outrageous story can hint at deeper patterns: a culture that tolerates impulsive behavior, overlooks accountability, or blurs professional and personal lines. In short, the way people behave at holiday parties often says as much about the company as it does about the individuals involved," our expert narrated.
#10
Drunk coworker, older guy, steps backwards to get out of the way of dude carrying a tray of drinks. Trips over a table leg, crashes backwards into one of those crappy 80's cubicle movable walls, and the entire 12 or 14 string of wall all comes crashing down with a massive bang. Tables go over, punch bowl hits the floor, glass breaking, dust in the air, food all over the floor....everything stops.
And that's when we all saw that our 60+ year old boss had a 21 year old intern bent over a desk behind the wall, railing her for all he was worth.
Everybody freezes for a beat, then the boss starts grabbing at his ankles trying to get his britches up. The next thing we hear was the old guy who took the wall out. "I'm alright."
Hell, we'd all forgotten about him.
Best Christmas party ever. I miss the 80's.
#11
I worked at a company in Scotland a few years ago and every year something unexpected happened at them
The most mental incident I remember was; one year a woman in her mid 20s hit the free bar before the meal and got really drunk really quickly. She started mouthing off to people sat on her table and swearing at anyone she looked at. Eventually a director of the company came over and asked her to leave, instead she took her shoe off and attacked him with the stiletto heel. She was restrained, the police were called and she spent the night in jail
What made the situation even more crazy was it was only her 3rd day at the company. She started on the Monday and the party was on Wednesday. Safe to say she was fired. I'm not sure if she was charged.
#12
Company I used to work for rented out the Queen Mary in Long Beach for a XMAS party. 2 drunk guys jumped off one of the higher decks. The QM staff were not happy!
LakotaWolf (she/her) 1 hour ago
The QM is permanently docked there and is a tourist attraction (I live about 20 miles away from Long Beach) so at least the drunk guys weren't at as much of a risk as they would have been if they'd jumped off a cruise ship while at sea XD
Apoorva also gave us insight into how holiday party behavior can act as a pressure release for what employees have been carrying all year. She believes that when people are stressed or burned out, the party may become an outlet. This often leads to excessive drinking, emotional outbursts, or uncharacteristically reckless behavior as a way to blow off steam.
"Disengagement can show up differently. Employees who feel disconnected may overcompensate by acting louder or bolder than usual, or they may withdraw entirely, skipping the event or keeping their distance. In both cases, the party doesn’t create the behavior so much as expose what’s already simmering beneath the surface of the workplace," our expert concluded.
#13
I’ve posted this story here before, but it’s a good one.
One year my law firm hired 3 nearly identical article clerks (basically lawyer interns in their final year of law school). They were all about the same height and build, straight brown hair with bangs, black framed glasses. Nobody could tell them apart for the entire year they were articling with us, even the lawyers they worked directly with.
So at the party they all wore very similar dresses. One (or more?) of them got super drunk and screamed at the senior partner about what a jerk he is, then (or was it one of the others?) tried to get everyone to do molly in the bathroom with her, then when HR escorted her (or was it her?) to a cab to get her home, she got in a fight with the cab driver who then refused to drive her and HR had to wait with her for another cab.
The next 2 weeks we had so many meetings about it. They did countless interviews with everyone at the party trying to figure out who (singular? plural?) it was, but in the end they couldn’t say for sure. Because it wouldn’t be fair to punish everyone over the actions of one (or 2 or 3?), nothing was ever done. Eventually 2 of them were hired on as lawyers after they passed the bar, and 1 recently made partner. If anyone knows who it really was, the rumour mill is still totally silent.
#14
Sales manager, not wearing underwear, but wearing a dress, dancing. Dance moves included laying on the floor with her legs in the air.
#15
Caught my extremely reserved male colleague taking ridiculously posed selfies in the staircase. Felt like I was interupting something.
Oh wow, I never thought that a simple work party could reveal so much about the company! Anyway, that was quite insightful for me. What about you? Also, I am pretty sure that you have experienced some wild incidents at your corporate Christmas parties, too. We would be delighted if you shared your stories with us. Just jot them down in the comments below!
#16
Drunk 20-something admin, like stumbling drunk. Creepy 30-something engineer tried to take advantage. Thankfully others noticed and kept her out of trouble. Creepy guy was fired the next week.
#17
Wasn't my work. I was up in Seattle doing some work on a Friday-to-Monday gig (set some things Friday, come back Monday and make sure everything works then fly home) and a friend of mine was living up there so on the weekend we would go out to various bars. On Saturday night it was me, her, and her roommate and we wanted to hit up this place called Tap House Grill, but as we walked in it appeared to be closed for a private event. There was a table with some badges but it was unmanned. Some kind of Christmas Party apparently and we were a little late.
So we grabbed some unmarked badges, wrote our first names on them and walked down the stairs, found out that it was a totally open bar and there were appetizers and everything. Turned out it was a Microsoft party. Good news, I happen to be an IT engineer specializing in Microsoft software, certified and everything. So I ordered a Ciroc martini, and when people started talking to us I just told them I was from the LA office. Talked the talk, we were there for several hours and no one suspected a thing. I told the girls to just say they were in Accounting or HR or something.
Even had one Indian fellow take our picture, he wanted one with the girls and gave me his internal messaging address to send it to him. Poor guy never got that pic lol. We absolutely destroyed those nerds on the pool table. Awesome night, didn't spend a dime except for the $20 I gave the bartender.
#18
A drunken colleague telling the company owner, his wife was ugly and then said ‘if I had a nose like yours, I wouldn’t underline it with a mustache’. Never saw him again.
#19
C- level exec snatching a wig off of a woman that reported to him and wearing it. The room got really quiet and Monday was awkward.
#20
Two of my colleagues were divorced from each other and the woman was dating another guy at work. At the party, the new guy was baiting the ex, so the ex bit the new guy on the face. At the same party, my married-with-three-young-kids boss, whose wife was battling cancer, turned up with an adult worker.
#21
I was a college intern and very naive about the work world. An older co-worker got drunk and told me about everyone in the office he had hooked up with. It opened my eyes to work dynamics.
#22
Saw the best ranked marketing exec get so wasted at the bar, before the actual party even started, that they threw her over a shoulder and carried her out in full view of the entire company. She never returned to work after that. NO ONE could believe that was her!
#23
It’s not that wild, but I worked at a radio station, and an employee was leaving a Christmas event in the radio stations-remote vehicle and got a DUI so the radio stations vehicle with all the signs and decals was impounded. It made the paper.
#24
Saw a guy get really drunk and do a strip-tease that was all strip and no tease, he is “no longer with the company.”.
#25
I ran up a bar tab of £1,500. This was in 1987 and today would be £4,300.
Put it on expenses and expected to be fired. Was promoted!!!
#26
We all stood around talking about work and our families for a few hours.
Engineers are pretty boring people, apparently.
EDIT: One year a random guy off the street showed up and started helping himself to food and my boss had to ask him to leave. That's about the wildest thing I could think of...
#27
I missed this part of the party as I had already left. The female office manager got so drunk she threw up on the carpet at the event location and the boss's wife wound up scrubbing the carpet. Office manager worked for another 6 months before getting fired for a different reason.
#28
35 years ago
Enterprise rental car Christmas party had ended and weoved upstairs to a suite.
two people locked in the bathroom of the executive suite after-party.
Loudly being intimate.
Not with the people they came with.
Rude as hell once the door got unlocked.
Got fired on the spot.
Enterprise threw some crazy parties.
#29
One of the VPs almost getting into a fight with the DJ. Apparently, this wasn't his first holiday party drunken episode. The company is blacklisted from a few venues bc of his drunken antics, the worst being kicking down a bathroom door.
#30
When I was articling at a smallish law firm, the Christmas party was pretty good. Nothing too wild, just two of the associates (both married to other people) who everyone knew had a thing for each other hooking up in a bathroom. After the party, though, some of us decided to go to a nightclub. One of the firm's two partners dropped her purse in front of the nightclub bouncer, though, and when she was unable to puck it up, we were all denied entry.
Incidentally, that partner ended up having a child with the other partner some years later, and the other partner's subsequent divorce proceeding went to the Supreme Court of our country.
#31
I was a bouncer off & on for about 20 years. I worked in a military town & was oftentimes fighting 3 or 4 times a night. I am a doorman of experience.
I’ve had numerous conversations where “normal” people could not believe the amount of aggro we would get on a single night.
That being said…
The worst single night of my life was when I did an old mate a favour & worked a corporate Christmas Party for him as he was short staffed.
It was a 4 hour running battle where there was about 10 police cars & vans turned up- the old bill ran out of handcuffs.
And I cannot stress this enough;
It was all because about 20 absolute jerks from PC World got coked up & kicked off with a load of Builders & Scaffolders on their Xmas party who were all spread out through the venue. I think the first fight was about 8pm.
In the end the coppers just pepper sprayed anything that wouldn’t lie down.
#32
I lived out of the country at the time and decided to surprise my parents by coming home. I get to the house and they aren’t there so I call. They say they are at a company Christmas party and tell me they are at ___ (locally) famous restaurant. I show up and a woman recognizes me as I’m trying to talk myself in. I surprise my parents and it’s a fun time for all. I find the lady that got me in and thank her. We start chatting, and honestly kinda hit it off. She mentions that she was promoted recently and just calls it a “step up in management” when I ask what she was doing there. Well anyway, she starts talking about how she really needs to de-stress but dating is tough at her age. She misses being wild and care free. I take the hint and say we should bounce. We never made it out of the parking lot. I did not know when the party ended, but it turns out it was around the time her and I were getting out of the back seat of my car.
She was the new CFO and I was the much younger son of the HR director. He’d been there 20+ years. Everyone knew who I was. Oops.
#33
Girls from operating room got so drunk they started fighting under the portico of the fancy venue. Ended up in the holly bushes and were scratched up , bleeding, dresses torn, extensions hanging like tinsel. It was epic. This was before cell phones so no pictures though. I was the new kid and I can remember thinking “I’m not sure if I can work here!”.
#34
We entertained a group of secretaries for a Christmas lunch. All women who worked for customers of ours. My boss dressed as Santa and also gave out gifts to the guests. After too much alcohol the boss started dancing on the table. He stripped down naked save for his gum boots! Not sure how successful our lunch was as some seemed to enjoy and others were horrified.
What do you think ?
Austzn 2 hours ago
Yeah, this is why I always hated these parties. You really don't want to be around your (already) a-hole coworker after they've freed-the-beast with a bunch of liquor. I'll share a more harmless and funny memory of one I went to: Coworker lives out in a rural area so they got a hotel room at the venue. They figure, not driving back, might as well get hammered. They do and at the party they were a blast, no trouble at all. When they got tired they left to go back to the room and got lost in this giant hotel. They started calling people still at the party to come find them...and to bring food from the party because they were also hungry. Oh, "Waldo" you were an interesting coworker.
Austzn 2 hours ago
Yeah, this is why I always hated these parties. You really don't want to be around your (already) a-hole coworker after they've freed-the-beast with a bunch of liquor. I'll share a more harmless and funny memory of one I went to: Coworker lives out in a rural area so they got a hotel room at the venue. They figure, not driving back, might as well get hammered. They do and at the party they were a blast, no trouble at all. When they got tired they left to go back to the room and got lost in this giant hotel. They started calling people still at the party to come find them...and to bring food from the party because they were also hungry. Oh, "Waldo" you were an interesting coworker.
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