When Kissing Under Mistletoe Is Okay—and When You'll Just Make a Fool of Yourself

Men's Fitness Editors

Mistletoe Protocol

How not to make a fool of yourself at the holiday party.

"What’s the proper protocol regarding mistletoe at holiday parties? I don’t want to make a fool of myself. Are there any 'rules?'"

-JOSEPH W., CRANSTON, RI

Well, if it’s an office party, the first one would have to be: Unless you want to be doing the “This is your first warning…” tango with Tonya the HR fem-bot, it’s best to keep your lips zipped and your hands in your pockets, mistletoe or no.

“This isn’t the time to slide up on someone and sneak in a kiss,” says etiquette expert Elaine Swann. But, she says, it can still be a chance to get closer to your office crush. “A holiday office party gives you the opportunity to open up the floor for conversation—maybe even offer a tiny gift—but it’s not the time to make an over-the-top move.”

But if it’s a non-office holiday party, we say: Go for it! Though some decorum’s always in order, so we got these helpful tips from Men’s Fitness female staffers:

— Bring your own mistletoe and hold it over your head and girls will swipe you left on sight.

— Imagine the area under the mistletoe as having a shot clock: If you don’t score fast, you get out of the zone.

— Open-mouth kissing is by invitation only. Wait for the invitation.

— Best come-on for an under-the-mistletoe kiss: a flirty smile. Worst: a $5 bill.

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