Learn About the U.S. > The US Through the Year > Work Year > Office Christmas Parties

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Work Year
- Daylight Savings Time
- Income Tax Day (April 15)
- Take our Daughters and Sons to Work Day
- Secretary’s Day (Last Wednesday in April)
- National Boss Day (October 16)
- Office Christmas Parties
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At the Deer Valley YMCA Camp in Pittsburgh, current and former employees celebrate a Christmas Party together.
Photo Courtesy of Deer Valley YMCA Camp.
Office Christmas Parties
In many American workplaces, employers and employees often celebrate the holiday season in December with office Christmas parties. Because there are often people of various religious and cultural backgrounds in an office, an office Christmas party may focus on the secular (non-religious) aspects of the holiday season, or it may be called a “holiday” or “end-of-the-year” party. The elements of a Christmas party vary, but they often feature holiday-themed decorations like a Christmas tree and ornaments, food and drink, music, and games. Workers sometimes exchange gifts. There are some customs that allow workers to exchange gifts without spending large amounts of money and which spare them from feeling as if they must give a gift to every co-worker and boss in the workplace. The “grab bag” is a method of gift exchange in which individuals wrap an inexpensive gift and exchange them through some sort of enjoyable process, such as drawing numbers corresponding to the labeled gifts. In the “Secret Santa” custom, everyone places a slip of paper with their name in a hat or bag and then draws one name. Each person is responsible for buying a small gift for the person whose name they pick.
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