Who doesn’t love a good office party? You get the chance to talk to that coworker you see every day but never work with, gorge yourself on free food, and anxiously contemplate on the drive home whether you were fun in a professional or unprofessional way. I don’t really trust offices that have office happy hours and parties multiple times a week, but enjoying the social company of your coworkers every once in a while is a solid way to build camaraderie and create memories that don’t involve the water cooler being broken or the toilet being broken. 

Some office parties involve celebrating something specific rather than vague happy hours. It’s not uncommon for people to have baby showers, wedding showers, or going-away parties for longtime employees. Obviously, those gatherings aren’t going to be as intimate as the showers and parties you’d have for your non-coworker friends, but they are valuable regardless.