I have no problem with holiday parties in November (provided it takes place half-way through the month), but I'm Canadian, so my Thanksgiving is long gone. I wonder if knowing another holiday is coming up makes celebrating Christmas already a little strange?

Maybe not for celebrating Christmas but how about a "Giving Thanks" party or "Autumn Harvest" or "First Frost/Snow". It's still the holiday season and the atmosphere is still holiday.

I usually throw the first holiday party among my friends, the first weekend in December. Its early enough that it doesnt conflict with others holiday celebrations and its Post Thanksgiving. I think you should wait until after Thanksgiving.

I sent out our holiday party invitations on Nov. 1st but the party isn't until the weekend before Christmas. Any holiday party in Dec. is fine with me but I think it'd be weird to do it before Thanksgiving.

I think there is something really special about the holiday season and Christmas decorations, music, etc, should not make an appearance til after Thanksgiving/last week of November. Any earlier seems to cheapen the holiday.

Of course getting together with friends in November is always awesome, just hold the Christmas music and decorations!

After thanksgiving or you risk incurring the wrath of the Ghost of Angry Pilgrim.

It being autumn, there must be enough excuses to theme a party something other than Christmas.

For a Christmas party, wait until after Thanksgiving. This should also apply to stores putting out decorations for sale.

After Thanksgiving only. I like the idea of a Giving Thanks or Harvest Fest party if you really need to have a celebration in November.

I think it's okay, especially this year and the past couple, when Christmas falls on a weekend, so we're getting shorted a bit on the number of weekends between Thanksgiving and Christmas. I like to throw a weeknight cocktail hour(s) holiday party in the first couple of weeks of Christmas.

2 houses in our neighborhood decorated for Christmas a week before Halloween. I have already had to delete 2 local radio stations from my car radio that think playing all christmas music all the time 2 months before the holiday is a good thing..... Gosh it is only the 9th of Nov and the joy is already being drained from the holiday. How about throwing a party for no reason other than the fun of it and not tying it in to over exposed holidays.
Thanks I needed to get that off my chest...

THanksgiving is a great holiday and I don't like when it is lessened by over celebrating Christmas. Plus I don't want to incur the wrath of the Angry Pilgrim.

I'm with Norahl and those who think that a Christmas party belongs in December, along with retail Christmas displays, Christmas music, etc. Thanksgiving is a perfect (and reliable) kick-off date for the holiday season. Why mess with the set-up?

That having been said, though, this year it turns out that a lot of old friends will be hovering in or around our home town beginning the weekend before Thanksgiving. We think seeing one another after 20 years outside of a formal reunion is plenty of reason to celebrate, without confusing it with what's happening in the following week.

Christmas type holiday parties belong after Thanksgiving. If it's the week of Thanksgiving, it's a Thanksgiving party. Any earlier and it's just a party.

If it's a business holiday party or one put on at a commercial establishment, it might make sense to be early to save money, because I'm sure places start charging more the closer you get to Christmas.

I'd rather have a "holiday" party now than no party at all.

If you must have a holiday party in November, make it fall-themed, not Christmas-themed.

If you think that the meaning of Christmas gets drained because a few radio stations play Christmas music in October or because Target puts out Christmas displays before Thanksgiving, then maybe you should rethink what Christmas really means.

Considering that the retailers put out Christmas stuff in September, it's probably not too early to have a holiday party in November. I agree with other folks in that if you do decide to have a party in November, don't make it a Christmas-themed party, just make it a "holiday" or fall party. I'm not much of a traditionalist and I too get tired of seeing Christmas decorations and hearing Christmas music for 3 months.

The retailers are more desperate than ever to get Consumermas shoppers in early. Maybe the liquor companies are behind the early seasonal parties? ;-D

I don't have a problem with holiday parties starting now. This way the people you invite actually come! Not sure I'd have a tree out before Thanksgiving, but come on, it's a PARTY!

I think one or two weeks after Thanksgiving is a good time, especially if the people you're inviting were hosts for Thanksgiving. They probably spent a lot of time and energy hosting Thanksgiving and could probably use some relaxation before delving back into party mode.

You know how having too much of a delicious cake every day makes the cake ordinary all of the sudden? It's the same with Christmas to me.

I also think that Christmas parties are special and should be kept within the boundaries of December. If it last all year long, it's not so special anymore. We also have a religious Christmas party on December 24th, and only on that day, to make it special and, so to speak, more "concentrate". For that one day, we plan and scheme a month ahead, and we love it that way.
You definitely can have too much of a good thing, and while I think about Christmas all year long ("that would be a great present for your grand-mother !" or "I don't care if it's July, I'm buying those decorations for Christmas"), I'm annoyed at the mall and their endless hints for us to spend money we shouldn't spend.

So, I'd go to the party (year, party !), but feeling it's too early for me (emphasis on "for me") to get the spirit.

I only celebrate the secular version of Christmas (and send "Season's Greetings" cards to avoid religious implications.) I like the "festival of lights" aspects as well as having a general gift-giving holiday, which I can enjoy happily without religion. So I simply don't care when it happens. I do think it's a bit silly to make Halloween a month long, Thanksgiving and Christmas merge into one long occasion, and other commercial expansions of single day events, etc., but it really doesn't matter to me. Your mileage may vary.

This year I plan to decorate on Black Friday instead of shopping.

I think people who can't wait until December to have Christmas parties are the same people who leave Christmas decorations up through most of January.