I agree with your observation about office holiday parties. It has also been my observation that all through the year the petty little games and back stabbing events that go on between employees on the same work team and with management all wraps up to everyone getting together for a "holiday" party where gifts are exchanged and everyone pretends they actually have any respect what so ever for anyone else in the room. And there is always some kiss-up who will take up a collection to get a "gift" for the boss. It is not a gift from the heart and it is not a gift with warm feelins... it is a gift of self-preservation because you certainly don't want to be the only one not contributing.

But perhaps a more useful way to look at the whole office party gig is that maybe it's a kind of detante. An hour or so where everyone lays down their arms and agree to a cease-fire over a mug of egg nog. Sometimes I just pretend I'm a U.N. peacekeeping observer ...