It's the time of year many of us are preparing to gather as families, friends and work colleagues to hit the dance floor.
But with lockdowns north and south preventing at least part of the party season, we might all be missing out on a little bit of fun to end the year.
Although the sparkly dresses and that little black number are consigned to the closet for now, a countrywide version of the Hokey Cokey will be playing out across Ireland over the weekend and into next week.
Lockdown in, lockdown out, in, out, in, out, shake it all about - and for a brief four-day spell north and south will meet in the middle before heading their separate ways again, turning around and seeing which direction they're facing next. Many are left asking what it's all about.
It's like we're all staggering around the dance floor in our Christmas jumpers, not quite sure what we're doing there in the first place. In the meantime, we're about to enter an all-Ireland lockdown by accident.
At a minute past midnight on Friday Northern Ireland enters a new, stringent two weeks of restrictions akin to what we experienced back in March.
For four days that will run alongside the final stretch of the six-week lockdown currently enforced south of the border. By Tuesday, the Republic will be moving away as lockdown eases.
For some experts on the spread of Covid-19, this four-day lockdown alignment, though still imperfect, is how things should have been from day one, but such is the wildly different trajectories of virus spread that north and south have been on in recent weeks, the practical chances of it happening have all but disappeared.
"When you look at the overall picture, it just doesn't make sense at all," said Dr Gabriel Scally, president of the epidemiology and public health sector of the Royal Society of Medicine.
At the start of September he predicted a shambles in Northern Ireland if the test and trace system, coupled with the public buying in once more to health guidelines and social distancing, wasn't improved.
He predicted a province-wide lockdown before Christmas, and he's not surprised that this has come to pass.
"What we have now is a growing number of cases in the north, while the south has gained a measure of control," said Dr Scally.
"The two have moved apart substantially.
"Deaths from Covid in the north have been four times higher per head of population than in the south.
"But in the Republic of Ireland they're ready to start coming out of their six-week lockdown, they have testing and tracing organised.
"There has been no such organised system in the north.
"You can have as many lockdowns as you want, but unless testing and tracing is up to scratch, it won't make much difference in the long run.
"It's not surprising that we now find Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland heading in completely different directions over the next week."
Dr Scally said it's very clear testing and contact tracing has been an embarrassment for the Executive.
"In fact, Northern Ireland is lucky that we've come so far down the road towards getting a vaccine," he added.
"That could be the one saving grace.
"Policy mistakes, north and south, have been roughly the same, but not through any coordinated approach.
"Nothing either country has done in decision making has been radically different, but why the north is going into lockdown and the south is about to come out is down to the testing and tracing.
"Without the vaccine, and with the testing and tracing system still nowhere near the level required, Northern Ireland would be staring at further lockdowns in the future."
What Ireland as a whole is now facing is a four-day, full lockdown scenario.
But by next Tuesday the Republic will begin easing its way towards Christmas.
Hair and beauty salons are likely to reopen, restaurants too. Retailers and shopping centres will spring back into life for the run-up to Christmas.
How far they move away from restrictions is yet to be decided, and though there have been warnings of a further lockdown in January, they're dancing to a more upbeat tune.
At the end of the summer Northern Ireland was leading the dance. Now the roles have reversed.
Indeed, Ireland north and Ireland south is now dancing to completely different tunes, meeting briefly by accident rather than design.
As Dublin tip-toes tentatively into the Christmas lights, Belfast heads towards a corner in the dark.
10 things you'll still be able to do north or south
Between November 27 and December 1, Ireland north and south will be in lockdown together. Non-essential retail, pubs and restaurants, leisure facilities, beauty and hair salons will all be shut.
Options are limited, but here are 10 things you can still do...
Visit a garden centre (north) or a hardware store (south), but not a garden centre (south) or a hardware store (north).
Take part in sports, but only if you're at an elite level. Spectators will be banned.
Hold or attend a funeral, though restricted to 10 people in the south and 25 in the north. Normal church services are cancelled.
Order a takeaway meal from a restaurant or cafe, though by next Tuesday you should be able to sit down for table service in the Republic (15 people per restaurant).
Go to school, college or university since all places of learning will be remaining open as usual until the Christmas holidays.
Build a house. Construction work is permitted to continue, though ironically many operations will be shutting down for Christmas anyway.
Get married in a church, but only in front of 25 people.
Go fishing, although golf courses and other leisure facilities will be closed.
Stock up on Christmas drinks from off-licences.
Shop for groceries, with supermarkets and smaller foodstuff retailers deemed essential shops.
