NEW YORK—The holiday season is full of social events, from family gatherings to Friends-Mas to, of course, the world holiday party. No matter what you celebrate this time of year and no matter what your line of work, an office holiday party is a special chance to spend time with your colleagues without discussing work or feeling deadline-induced stress. Instead, it’s a few hours to enjoy some holiday treats and get to know your co-workers in a new way—let’s face it, we spend almost as much time with our co-workers as we do our family and friends. 

This year, indies everywhere are celebrating the holiday season with parties big and small. Here, we’re taking a look at just a few of them.

In Newark, California, the Bella Eyecare team celebrates with a month-long Bellmas, full of treats to make the holiday rush more magical. Image via bellaeyecareoptometry on Instagram


The team at Elk Grove Optometry in Elk Grove, California, headed to local Wine & Roses Hotel to celebrate the holidays—and take a perfect holiday card picture. Image via elkgroveoptometry on Instagram


In New Braunfels, Texas, the Local Eyes Optometry team celebrated with fun holiday outfits and props for their team photo. Image via localeyesnb on Instagram


The Northwest Hills Eyecare team in Austin, Texas, headed over to local business Board & Brush for an ugly Christmas sweater contest and a fun, creative time building their own wooden signs. Image via nwhillseyecare on Instagram


With the help of his wife, Central Florida Retina’s John Olson, MD, hosted the entire team for a holiday party at his home. Image via central_florida_retina on Instagram


In Cheltenham, England, the Harper and Cooper Opticians team donned their fanciest outfits to celebrate the holidays. Image via harperandcooper on Instagram