Time to Party . . . and Party

Ho. Ho. Ho.

Speed up the Thanksgiving recovery and look what’s in store. If it’s the season to be jolly, then it’s the season to have a party.

Here, with apologies to those invites lost in the shuffle, is a quick swing through the holiday mail. Ho.

ANNUAL EVENTS--One of the biggest is the Juniors of Social Service Auxiliary Candlelight Ball Dec. 14 at the Beverly Hilton. This year celebrates 50 years of service. Funds raised support Regis House, the nondenominational community center in West Los Angeles. . . . The Motion Picture Mothers hold their annual Festive Christmas Feast at the Beverly Wilshire on Dec. 14. Sybil Brand will be honored with the Humanitarian Award, introduced by her old friend Cesar Romero. The Ink Spots will entertain. . . . Sybil Brand herself hosts a Christmas party luncheon at the Beverly Hilton on Dec. 19 . . .

The Michael Burke Foundation for the benefit of St. John’s Hospital and Health Center hosts its 28th annual dinner dance featuring The Voice of Christmas and Les Brown and his band of Renown, at the Beverly Wilshire, Dec. 11. . . .

GO-AROUNDS--The L.A. Pops Christmas Concert features Vic Damone at the Beverly Hilton Sunday night. . . . Sunday night is also the party for the John Wayne Cancer Clinic at Chasen’s. . . . The Music Center Mercado hosts a holiday celebration at the Music Center Wednesday evening. . . . Las Amigas of Torrance Memorial Hospital Medical Center hosts its Festival of the Trees Thursday night. . . . The United Negro College Fund Lou Rawls Telethon, with about 600 people at the L.A. Hilton, a remote location for the live broadcast Dec. 29.

SHOP EARLY--And shop at Gucci’s during the Wednesday evening reception in support of Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Wednesday night. A percentage of all purchases made between Wednesday and Dec. 11 benefits Cedars. . . . Rodeo Drive shoppers can stop and get some fresh-roasted chestnuts at a stand in front of Jerry Magnin’s. All proceeds benefit Richard Simmon’s Reach Foundation, which provides exercise facilities for physically disabled adults. . . . The Exceptional Children’s Foundation puts work by developmentally disabled artists on sale Dec. 8-15 at the foundation headquarters on Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd. . . .

TAKE A BREAK--Head out to Hollywood Park on Wednesday night for the “Night at the Races” to benefit the Neil Bogart Memorial Laboratories for Children’s Cancer Research. Elizabeth Taylor and Neil Diamond are honorary chairpersons, the benefit is chaired by Marcia Medavoy, Joe Smith and Joyce Wilson and last year it raised $750,000. . . . The Redondo Beach’s Riviera Village Assn. hosts its annual Yuletide Ball on Dec. 7, and, with the theme of “A Christmas Carol,” ball-attendees are encouraged to wear Victorian or semi-formal attire. Please bring new, unwrapped toys to be distributed to terminally ill children by Redondo’s Cheers for Children organization. . . . The Beverly Hills Chapter of the Women’s League for Israel holds a Holiday Cocktail Party Extravaganza on Dec. 12 at the Phyllis Morris Showroom. . . . MAKE YOUR RESERVATIONS--There are some new things to do in town over New Year’s. The Friends of the Observator hold a special New Year’s Eve Gala benefiting Griffith Observatory. Ray Bradbury and Carter Hawley Hale’s Donald Livingston are helping to put it together--and you even get Halley’s Comet thrown in. . . . No sighting of the comet, but a grand bash for New Year’s Eve, when the Armenian Society of L.A. brings in the New Year at the Beverly Hilton. . . . Not New Year’s Eve, but the Modern and Contemporary Art Council of the County Museum of Art celebrates Halley’s Comet with a party, laser extravaganza and dancing at Griffith Observatory on Thursday night. . . . First come get the first tickets at Rick Dee’s New Year’s Eve Party at the Bonaventure.

POINSETTIAS, PLURAL--There are two Poinsettia Balls set for the very same night. Don’t get mixed up and go to the wrong one. The Bel-Air Council Navy League of the U.S. (The Adm. John Ford Memorial) holds its 10th annual Poinsettia ball celebrating the Christmas season Friday, at Antoine’s. . . . The L.A. County Medical Assn. Auxiliary holds its Poinsettia Ball Friday night at the Sheraton Grande, benefiting the L.A. Transplant Institute. . . .

CIVIC GATHERINGS--Unlike most nights when business people (except lawyers) flee downtown at sundown, the holidays keep lots of people busy rushing from one office building to another. Citicorp Center sets it off Wednesday when Mayor Tom Bradley lights up the Christmas tree and the new downtown complex opens officially.. . . The California Fisheries Assn. holds its annual Christmas party Dec. 14 at the Sheraton Grande. . . . Rafer Johnson will be there, and so will Dodger infielder Dave Anderson. California Special Olympians will be the special guests, as the Bonaventure Hotel turns on its Christmas tree Thursday evening. . . .

BUSINESS BASHES--Ticor goes back to the refurbished Biltmore Tuesday for its annual reception. . . . Barad and Levine host an open house at their offices in Sherman Oaks on Thursday. . . . Tuesday night L.A. Style magazine hosts a California Christmas Tree Raising at Pinafini at the Beverly Center. Bring an unwrapped toy for the Union Rescue Mission. . . .

LOTS OF LUNCHES--Like the annual Sleighball party and fashion show at the Beverly Hilton from Delta Delta Delta on Tuesday. . . . The City of Hope Monterey Park Chapter hosts a luncheon at the Beverly Hilton on Dec. 7. . . . The Opera Guild of Southern California holds its traditional holiday luncheon Dec. 7 at the Beverly Wilshire Hotel. It’s a “Winter Wonderland.” . . . The Braille Institute Auxiliary’s Christmas luncheon is Thursday at the Beverly Hills Hotel. Proceeds go to “Expectations,” the Institute’s book for blind children. . . . A Hanukkah brunch honoring Donald T. Sterling, hosted by the L.A. Men’s ORT, is due at the Beverly Hilton on Dec. 8. Andrew E. Stevens chairs . . .

PRIVATE, PLEASE--Joan Van Ark and her spouse, newscaster John Marshall, bring the networks together at their Hollywood Hills home Dec. 14. He’ll bring NBC, and she, of course, CBS, where her “Knots Landing” airs.

And to all, a good night.