December might be cold, it might be dark, and it is definitely expensive, but on the other hand, it’s also party season.
That’s right, it’s time to drag your fanciest clothes out from the back of the closet and get ready for a seemingly endless succession of nights out on the town. From office parties to long-overdue catch-ups with friends and family, December often serves as one big bash.
Is all that socializing exhausting, though? Do you find yourself daydreaming about sitting on the sofa with a boxset and a bottle of wine as you traipse to your third event of the week? If so, you might have what Cint is calling “party season fatigue”.
Using CintSnap — a way to survey individuals and understand opinions quickly — we conducted a poll with approximately 300 people in the United Kingdom and the United States to ascertain just how prevalent party season fatigue is, and if the prospect of partying night after night still has mass appeal.
Life is just a party…
When it came to gauging excitement around the festive party season, Cint’s UK respondents nudged ever so slightly ahead of their counterparts in the US by the tightest of festive margins. Nearly three quarters (72%) of UK-based respondents were very or somewhat excited about the forthcoming rush of social events versus the 71% of those in the US who responded in the same manner when surveyed.
Just 11% of Brits and 9% of US respondents said they’re either very or somewhat unexcited by the prospect of a potential slew of shenanigans.
In terms of the amount of obligations currently booked in respondent’s calendars, the majority of those polled on either side of the pond have one to three events to attend (41% for both UK and US respondents). A quarter have three to five diary items scheduled, and a truly hardcore 4% of both respondent groups already have over ten things they’ve committed to going to in December, 2025.
…But parties weren’t meant to last
Many people reading this will at some point in their lives have backed out of an event because fatigue has set in and the idea of getting dressed up and going out and being social doesn’t seem like the most attractive proposition in the world.
Cint wanted to know if respondents had already thought about the possibility of doing just that during December’s party season in 2025.
Asked how likely they were to cancel attending an event, party or other social obligation due to fatigue, a truly dedicated 31% of UK respondents said they’re very unlikely to do so and 13% said it was somewhat unlikely they’d have to send that apologetic text or email in the run-up to the occasion in question.
On the other hand, 39% were either very or somewhat likely to flake on an afternoon or night out due to party season fatigue setting in.
The picture is slightly different in the US. While 32% of respondents are very unlikely to cancel on any commitments due to fatigue, exactly a quarter are very likely to do just that, and a further 21% are somewhat likely to skip out on a pre-planned party or social occasion.
The office party: obligation or occasion?
Ah, the office party. Some dread it while others adore the chance to unwind with colleagues at the end of another year at the coalface.
Despite the majority of respondents on both sides of the Atlantic indicating that they’ll be attending the office party this year, they’d also prefer an additional day off work in lieu of a work-related celebration if offered.
While 49% of Americans and 56% of Brits said they will be in attendance, our survey also showed that 65% of US respondents and 69% of them in the UK would opt for extra time off work if the company they work for gave them the option.
Until that day comes, there’s still the question of the best way to make the most of the annual office outing.
For respondents in the US, an afternoon meal followed by drinks came out on top, with 28% of those surveyed selecting it as their preferred option for a work party. In the UK, our respondents like to start a little later, with 35% saying they’d rather plump for a meal in the evening before heading out for more drinks after.
Express delivery
Parties mean dressing up which can — occasionally, anyway — mean having to shop for a new outfit. Between work, family, and friends, December is often an unfathomably busy month.
Perhaps that’s why UK delivery service Deliveroo has recently partnered with fashion rental platform Hurr to trial a service that offers British punters the chance to have a new outfit delivered in just twenty minutes.
Asked if they’d prefer to utilise Deliveroo’s super speedy sartorial service or head to the shops for a new outfit to wear at parties, a slim majority (51%) of our UK respondents plumped for a trip to the mall. 39% said they’d be happy to make the most of ordering a dress in the same way they’d select a takeaway on a Friday night.
While the service is currently only being trialled in the UK, just over half of US respondents answered that they’d use a similar offering if one existed locally to them. This contrasted with the 35% who, like their British counterparts, would prefer to shop in person for their party wear.
Ploughing on with parties
Excitement around the party season runs high for Cint respondents, and while they might shift the odd plan around, they’re largely committed to getting out and about at the tailend of the calendar year.
Will you be painting the town red all month long? Or are you more likely to politely decline an invite in favor of some much-needed me time?
Join the conversation on our LinkedIn page.
Methodology
A ‘CintSnap’ is a snapshot into the minds of general consumers. The data featured was pulled using the Cint platform and leverages Cint’s programmatic research tech. A census demographic of approximately 300 people in the United Kingdom and the United States were surveyed for each question within a 3 hour window on 27 November, 2024.
Cint’s research technology helps our customers to post questions and get answers from real people, in real time – and to use these insights to build business strategies, publish research, and accurately measure the impact of advertising efforts. Find out more here.
