Christmas comes closer! Find out what an ideal family would do this year! Also read about strange habits of friends, what not to do at office parties and how to touch base. Join me…

We all have our own little ways of celebrating Christmas. Among the few occasions that spread joy across the world, cutting across boundaries of country, ethnicity and origin, Christmas tops the list. Some of us like to be with friends; some choose to leave their workstations and go home. For people like me, it’s a new start that needs a grand welcome. For me, it’s Christmas time that is more of an opportunity to look at things anew, rather than the more obvious New Year.

Eleanor wants Andrew, her grandson, to sing Christmas carols at the church service. Eleanor wanted her son Mike to do the same when he was a child. “But he was no good at singing,” she told me with a wink, “Finally there’s someone in the family who can stand up and sing some right notes!” Eleanor gives the credit of this blessing to Andrew’s mother, Lisa. There will be a proud family at the church this Christmas as the apple of their eyes takes the podium.

Friends have their own quirky habits and character traits. But we often tend to overlook them because of the amount of time that we spend with each other. For example, one of your best friends may have the habit of chewing loudly. Since you have too many meals together, you don’t notice this irritating habit. It’s also true that to some extent you have grown to accept it as part of a person who’s special enough to be your friend.

Over coffee two nights ago, we were talking about our own little character skews. The discussion had a blanket rule: no one will take offense from what is being said. The aim of the discussion is that we get to know each other better and realize where we deviate as human beings. If friends don’t point them out, who will? Some very interesting and hilarious results came up. It would be a breach of trust among friends if I shared those with you. Why don’t you conduct one among your pals?

Companies often have parties during the Holiday season. But is it a wise idea to turn up with a date at these parties? Our eccentric techie, Ryan, has the answers! In fact, he was holding fort on how he never brings a date along for these business occasions. His reasons are plenty. To begin with, Ryan likes to make use of these events for networking. “I can booze with my pals somewhere else,” Ryan said, “Over here, I make sure I meet new people and pick up little trade tricks!”

If you thought Ryan is more sensible than he seems, here’s more! “It’s important for people to know you’re single!” he declared. There was a murmur of questions as to why it was so. This curiosity is fodder for Ryan. “You never know who falls for you!” Ryan said with a grand sweep of the hand. But the clincher was: “You’re always on your best behavior when you’re alone!” Ryan’s words of advice created a flutter in the office. But we know him better: he will be the first one to flout his own rules!

This is the age of communication. We are always touching base with people we know well or just socially. Like you have your high school pals on social media networks, you also have business contacts. There are also some fresh acquaintances that you want to network with. Often, because of limited online etiquette or too much eagerness, you may end up reaching out more than you should. There’s a fine line between communicating and stalking. You have to define that demarcation.

While sending out occasional emails across the miles is a good business idea, sending too many or too frequently is more likely to irritate the receiver. You may make comments on the profile pages of your contacts, but try not to make forceful observations or questions that border on prying. There are some unwritten rules about what is acceptable and what is not. Cultural and social constructs play a major role, too. Next time you itch to comment, think again!

Here’s a lovely Eric Sevareid quote for you: “Christmas is a necessity. There has to be at least one day of the year to remind us that we’re here for something else besides ourselves.”