To quote Laura Linney's character in Love Actually, "Hi, Karl."

The past three years have revealed some hard-hitting truths about Irish society. Firstly, we've discovered the depths of our resilience. We've learnt how well we do when asked to make sacrifices for the good of the nation. We've gained some powerful insights into our compassion for one another, our generosity of spirit. But we've also learnt just how much we love a good Christmas work party. For many, this years Christmas party will be the first one in three years, after many parties were cancelled last year due to concerns about the latest Covid variant. This year, they're back on the cards, and now is as good a time as any to remind you that half of Christmas parties lead to serious relationships. Yep, that's right. Office Christmas parties tend to see unlikely co-workers get together for a cheeky shift under the mistletoe. And, while we may dismiss these hook-ups as anomalies, it turns out they might be the start of something big. Indeed, according to research by Instantprint, a whooping 53% of Christmas party flings lead to serious relationships, with a third of these relationships lasting longer than a year. So, if you're heading to your Christmas party soon, guard yourself with the knowledge that a cheeky kiss under the mistletoe could be the start of a brand new relationship. As well as sneaky shifts, another staple of the office Christmas party is the fear, and we're certainly glad to be giving it a miss this year, especially after new research from thortful.com found that a third of people have regrets over their actions at the Christmas party.