15 Worst Holiday Party Fouls

It's a familiar scene: Uncle Jack had two too many 'nogs and somehow fell into the tree and knocked it off its base, and Ms. Loose-Lips divulged the truth about Santa to the kids. But getting in the holiday spirit doesn't have to mean becoming mulled like a fine spiced wine.

Click here to see the 15 Worst Holiday Party Fouls Slideshow.

Getting drunk is a common party foul that always seems to get the better of us (or at least some), especially come the holidays. Whether it's because you were too busy finishing up holiday shopping (because you saved it for the last minute) and forgot to eat lunch, or started self-medicating three hours before guests arrived, drinking too much is a recipe for disaster.

No matter the occasion, be it a grand family feast or the annual post-church, pre-caroling open house down the street, there are a couple of surefire ways to dig yourself into a big hole during the holidays, and perhaps even risk ruining the holiday for others. Don't play favorites — even if you love one daughter-in-law more than the other, don't show that at the dinner table. When cooking, it's nice to have a glass of wine to help loosen up and relax a bit before guests arrive, but it's best to keep the booze away from the stove while you're cooking — unless you want to wear a dress with singed piping, or a burnt hand, of course. And don't forget about the pets. That tray of smoked salmon on toast points resting on the coffee table is oh so tempting for Max; there goes the appetizer.

Click here to see the 15 Worst Holiday Party Fouls Slideshow.

This article originally published on December 21, 2011.