Apparently half of Christmas party flings lead to serious relationships

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

The past two 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. Indeed, by now we've all received that devastating email letting us know that this year's workplace Christmas celebration has been understandably cancelled. While we know the importance of staying safe, we'd be lying if we said we weren't a little bit disappointed and that's down to the very special place Christmas parties hold in our hearts. They're crucial for letting off stem, catching up with co-workers, and indulging in food and drink on the company's dime. They are, in two words, a cultural institution. On top of that, there's always the chance of some juicy drama occurring. 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 looking to stay single right now, maybe count your blessings that this year's festivities are not going ahead. 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.