English words for social occasions

The two or three-week period over Christmas and New Year is often a time when people socialise – either going out, or entertaining guests at home. Some social occasions are formal, while others are informal parties for family or friends. Here are the names for some common social occasions:

carol concert = a Christmas occasion where people often go to church to hear carols sung. Carols are religious songs on the theme of Christmas.

school play = a play where school children play the roles. A nativity play tells the story of the birth of Jesus.

office party = an evening or afternoon party organised by your place of work. It could include lunch, or drinks, or a "secret santa" where each employee anonymously buys a present for another employee.

family gathering = when family members meet for lunch, dinner, or the whole day.

cocktail party = a party in the early evening, where people dress quite formally for drinks.

informal drinks = an informal party at your house where you serve drinks and snacks.

a drink-up = a party in a pub organised by your colleagues or friends.

pub quiz night = when a group of friends go to the pub to take part in a quiz. They organise themselves into teams, and try to get the most answers right to win a prize.

fundraising event / charity do = "do" is a more informal way of saying "event". At these events, the aim is to raise money for a worthwhile cause. Often they involve a formal dinner, well-known speakers, or a raffle / auction (where people bid to buy an object.)

fancy-dress party = a party where everyone wears a costume on a particular theme.

a ball = a formal evening occasion where people dance. For example, a fancy-dress ball is a more formal equivalent to a fancy-dress party.

bingo = where people buy a card with numbers on it, then listen to an announcer reading out numbers. If you hear your numbers, you call "Bingo!" and win a money prize.

dinner dance = an old-fashioned, quite formal occasion, where couples eat dinner, then dance waltzes etc.

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