The questionable excuses for making a quick escape from social gatherings this Christmas include “I need to wash my hair”, “I left the oven on” – and “my burglar alarm is going off”, research has found. A study of 2,000 adults revealed 38 percent admit they feel obligated to attend gatherings during the festive period, even if they don’t want to go.
For those who do attend, commonly-used excuses to flee a festive scene include “I want to beat the traffic”, “my elderly parent can’t be left for long”, and “I have a family emergency”.
Meanwhile, “I’m having toilet troubles”, “I’ve double booked myself”, and “I need to clean my granny’s gutters”, also feature on the top 25 list.
It emerged the top reasons for wanting to escape a Christmas bash include avoiding small talk, feeling awkward, and not liking the other people at the party.
The research was commissioned by international mobility provider, SIXT UK, to celebrate its broad range of premium cars for hire.
A spokesman said: “We’ve all been there – stuck at a social gathering when we’d rather be at home in front of the TV.
“Even if it is the most wonderful time of the year, there are some obligations that leave us scrambling for an escape. The funny, bizarre, and downright brilliant excuses used to flee a festive function have now been revealed.”
The study also found almost four in 10 (39 percent) adults have lined up an excuse in advance, to aid their getaway from a gathering they don’t want to be at – such as asking someone to ring them during the event, or mentioning they’re unwell in the lead-up.
But instead of planning devious escape methods, 25 percent make what’s known as a “French exit” – sneaking away without making any excuses, or even saying goodbye.
It also emerged that, of those who have made excuses to get away from socialising, 23 percent reckon they are more likely to do so over the Christmas period – due to the crowds, the extra pressure to attend, and the fact it’s simply exhausting.
However, not everyone dislikes partying at Christmas, with a jolly 69 percent enjoying Yuletide mingling, thanks to the festive-themed food and drink, catching up with people not seen in a while – and, overall, everyone being up for a good time.
The study, commissioned via OnePoll, found Christmas work parties are the most common gatherings to find an excuse to get out of (40 percent), with 16 percent admitting they don’t like socialising with their colleagues – but do it for the free food and drinks.
Meanwhile, a guilty 17 percent would even make their excuses at a gathering with relatives.
When it comes to the ideal number of get-togethers over the festive season, partygoers reveal that three to four occasions hit the spot (30 percent) – but 35 percent admit they will leave early from half of them.
Brits can now share their best excuses used to flee a festive function via the mobility provider’s social channels, for the chance to win a microlight flight.
Sixt’s spokesman added: “If you’re planning to leave early from a Christmas party, we understand – and a quick escape from any situation could be easier with the SIXT app.”
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