Write a short story about a work Christmas party that goes... awry.

Posted in Winter on Nov 1, 2022

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✍️ 26 stories

“Bored for the Holidays” by William Lee

Submitted to Contest #21

I never hated Christmas. I never liked Christmas either, but if you don’t love Christmas people just assume that you must hate it, so it’s easier to open by dispelling that idea. Not that this is often a problem, after all Christmas is only one day out of the year, and people generally mind their business well enough to not bother you about it until the holiday actually arrives. Today, however, was that day. Or rather, the day preceding it, Christmas Eve. Everyone’s at home on Christmas day anyways, so there’s no one to wish you a happy holi...

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“Bud Lights, Ketchup, and Cereal Killers” by Taylor Crosby

Submitted to Contest #21

"Alright guys, I got the beers so we can turn this sad, pathetic joint into–what the hell?" I frown as I look around the darkened room. No one's in sight. I glance at my watch. 4:30. I'm right on time, so where the hell is everybody? I didn't get the time wrong, did I? I whip out my phone, swipe right past the news alert about a serial killer on the loose and to the office feed where all events are posted. Yep, the party is scheduled for 4:30 exactly. So where the hell is everybody? Then I think back to what I saw on my phone a few moments ...

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“The Christmas Party” by Laura Todd

Submitted to Contest #21

The 2019 Christmas staff party, thus far, had been an absolute disaster. Despite paying £50 a head all 26 of us were crammed into the small function room at the back of a grubby pub that had an overall rating of 2 stars. It didn’t look festive in the slightest, apart from a small, barely decorated Christmas tree in the corner and a few crackers that, when pulled had nothing in them, sat on the table. A buffet of sausage rolls, triangle-shaped sandwiches and a selection of crisps in bowls had been laid out like we were children. Fa...

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“WHEN YOU GET TEARS INSTEAD OF THE GIFT” by Azemina Klobodanovic

Submitted to Contest #21

I was born in a poor working-class, patriarchal family, who didn't give any importance to the holidays. We did not celebrate birthdays, New Year ... only Bajram (a great Muslim holiday). For the children, a New Year always represented an important holiday to be remembered by Santa Claus. Only when I was seven years old, when I attended the first grade of elementary school, it was the first time I saw Santa Claus. I've heard of other children that he is an old man with a white beard, the red boots and a red cap on his head, dressed in a red s...

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“The Sub-Par Gift Giver” by Ellie K

Submitted to Contest #21

It started out as a simple mistake that ballooned into an unmanageable mess, one even the manager couldn't manage. Considering John worked a nine to five office job at an insurance company, the annual company Christmas party should have been nothing special. Just a white elephant gift exchange, and some really low budget, store-bought Christmas cookies. The Christmas festivities started about two weeks before Christmas. The email, sent out by the office manager, left no hint that an actual human had even written it. It was a monotonous remin...

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“A Fearful Time of the Year” by Ken Harris

Submitted to Contest #21

As a contractual security officer assigned to a public state office, I very much wanted to finish my secret assignment of stuffing confidential letters into envelopes slated for the day's outgoing mail. I was eager to join the Christmas party downstairs in the conference room. I could smell the fresh hot party pizza delivered by the courier ten minutes ago. If I somehow finished this last batch of letters, I knew I could at least help myself to a ridiculous edgy pepperoni slice no one wanted.Liz, a state caseworker, poked her head ...

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“The Baroque Enigma Murder” by Jason Gretencord

Submitted to Contest #21

The Baroque Enigma opened ninety-nine years and three hundred sixty four days ago, but it appears even older. The ridiculously ornate hotel presents a living anachronism among the taller, sleeker rectangles lining either side of the highway. Across the street, a sign announces that an onyx and marble monolith of a hotel building will hold its grand opening tomorrow. Colorful strands of lights and rings of artificial pine branches scintillate in the frosted night. I leave my car in the eroding parking lot and pause at the front doors, w...

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“Santa's New Party Guests” by Humza Ahmad

Submitted to Contest #21

Rudolph was prancing around Santa’s workshop, excited about the spirit of Christmas. The snow was falling from the sky the way Rudolph nearly fell while carrying Santa’s sleigh across the night. The stars were shining and the night was young. “Merry Christmas” the reindeer sung. “Christmas party! Christmas party!” Rudolph cheered. To not have an annual Christmas party would be weird. Every year, after the toys are delivered to the kids who are good, Santa lights up the fire on the wood. Then, the reindeer sip their tea while Santa eats the c...

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“The Moonlight Pub Christmas Party ” by Mahalia Mehu

Submitted to Contest #21

Having worked the night shift, its up to Sam to get the pub ready for the Christmas party which also happens to fall on the pubs ladies night. Usually Audrey would handle the set up and design but this year she was in Austin to pick up and spend some time with her SEAL fiancé getting ready for their wedding. And to top it all off… she won’t be in to cover the day shift so he’ll only be getting 3 hours of sleep before he has to be back behind the bar. The day of the Christmas party dawns bright and sunny exactly the opposite of Sam...

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“Punch Bowl” by Bob Carlton

Submitted to Contest #21

No one had really taken the “no fraternization among coworkers” policy seriously. And when Boris Spivak had been fired for unrelated offenses three months after his affair with Margaret Gorp began, the point seemed moot anyway. Maybe in light of what happened last Wednesday we should reconsider.If anyone had noticed a change in Margaret’s demeanor after Boris left, they never mentioned it. She had retained her usual level of professionalism, though in retrospect she was perhaps a bit more reserved; however, she had never really been very out...

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“A WORK CHRISTMAS PARTY THAT GOES AWRY” by RADIUS HAVWAALA

Submitted to Contest #21

WORK CHRISTMAS PARTY GOES AWRY That afternoon Mackay was driving to Ellensmere School to celebrate a Christmas party thrown for teachers. The dark blue Corolla ate the distance greedily along the main gravel road until when he stopped at Doricma, a huge shop painted brick red next to the market where the marketers were busy selling tomatoes, grape etc. The December winds were howling as he cut the engine barely a meter from the main road. His hands swiftly flew from the steering wheel to engulf the girl seated next to him, pulling her ...

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Write a short story about a work Christmas party that goes... awry.

Submissions are closed

✍️ 26 stories

“Bored for the Holidays” by William Lee

“Bud Lights, Ketchup, and Cereal Killers” by Taylor Crosby

“The Christmas Party” by Laura Todd

“WHEN YOU GET TEARS INSTEAD OF THE GIFT” by Azemina Klobodanovic

“The Sub-Par Gift Giver” by Ellie K

“A Fearful Time of the Year” by Ken Harris

“The Baroque Enigma Murder” by Jason Gretencord

“Santa's New Party Guests” by Humza Ahmad

“The Moonlight Pub Christmas Party ” by Mahalia Mehu

“Punch Bowl” by Bob Carlton

“A WORK CHRISTMAS PARTY THAT GOES AWRY” by RADIUS HAVWAALA

🌟 Similar prompts

You live in a neighborhood where lots of people go out of town for the holidays. But lately, this has been resulting in an increased number of break-ins.

Just before Valentine's Day, a long-lost relative you've never heard of enters your life.

Write a short story about an inn-keeper wondering whether this will be their last holiday season in business.

You are a bartender working a night shift when a group of people come in on a Valentine's Day pub crawl.

Contest #21

Enter our weekly contest!

$50

Prize money

168

Contest entries

0

Stories

Win $250 in our short story competition 🏆

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