{The Blue Banner} Arts & Features Friday. December 5, 2008 Page 9 Have yourself a merry little Hanukkah

Erica Grabon Arts & Feature Writer [email protected]

Best of WNC Show­ Every holiday season, case 2008 blindingly bright Christmas The Orange Peel decorations light the streets to Saturday celebrate the birthday of Jesus 6p.m.-Midnight and alert Santa to the most gift­ Advance: $13 worthy house. In some houses, At door: $15 only a few candles softly glow, ushering in Hanukkah. The Mountain Xpress “Hanukkah is the festival of presents a few of the lights,” said Scott Sherman, a bands and restau­ practicing Jew. “It sometimes rants voted best by falls around this holiday that local Ashevillians. they call Christmas.” The ticket includes The story of Hanukkah is The Troinwreks, used to tell the history of the stephaniesid and war between the Persians and DJ Bowie. Admis­ the Jews, the resulting victory sion benefits MANNA of the Jews and the miracle Food Bank. that followed soon after. “The miracle is that a sup­ For more information; ply of oil for a lamp that is wvAv.theorangepeei. supposed to be burning at all net, or www.moun- times was found. There was tainX.com only enough for one day, but it lasted for eight days,” Sher­ man said. “So that’s why we The East West have eight days of Hanukkah. Asheville Holiday Art And the candles are lit from Walk right to left, since that’s the Various locations way the language is read.” Saturday Since most Christians know Wa.m. to 6 p.m. about Hanukkah, the belief iraimii:r usually follows that it must An electric hanukkiah lends some light to the Ilighsmith Information Desk on the second ll«' oflhc Ilighsmith lliiioii. Senior Meander between be an important holiday, oth­ health and wellness promotion .student Hilary Sandell works behind the desk. 355 and 520 Hay­ erwise why would everyone teach people to play dreidcl. religion?" Howard said. more people to celebrate with, Hanukkah has its own special wood Rd. in West know about it? Bill Fisher, a But if you ever see a happy After carving his own ha­ since previous attempts to in­ food which accompanies the Asheville to support 21-year-old UNC Asheville Hanukkah bush outside my nukkiah, the candelabra used clude others yielded less than story, local artists. student, laughs at the idea. house, you know someone is during the holiday, Howard desirable results. Sherman said one ingredi “You know what’s funny “I used to try and get my ant dominates during Hanuk­ For more information, about Hanukkah? To Jew­ friends to play dreidcl with kah. visit: www.eastwesta- ish people, it’s not a big deal. u me. They didn’t understand so “Oil, anything you can boil sheville.blogspot. Their like, yeah, yeah, okay, It teaches us about patience. In­ 1 had to keep explaining it to in oil. That's the tradition. com yeah, Christmas. I guess we stead of getting a lump thing, we them. At one point, I tried to We are a fat, fat people. My have. Hanukkah. You know have to spread it over eight days. find one with numbers so they grandfather used to say that if what’s the big deal? Yom Kip- So you have eight days of antici­ could understand it,” Howard the Germans don’t get us, our Twas the Sale Before pur, that’s the big deal. Shut pation instead of just one. said, shaking his head slight­ cooking will,” Sherman said. Christmas up, Hanukkah,” he yelled, ly. “1 did use the chocolate “But seriously, latkas rock. Grovewood Gallery grinning widely. coins though. Kept it real, you They are best served will) sour Sherman compared Hanuk­ know.” cream and applesauce. And 111 Grovewood Rd. Sam Tocman Friday - Sunday kah to more of a July 4th holi­ At the time of Hanuk­ sufganiyot. My girll'riend has UNC Asheville alumnus day. kah, Jews play a game called an awesome sufganiyot recipe. A percentage of ali “Yes, it is historically sig­ dreidcl with a top of the same Those are Jelly doughnuts for proceeds made over nificant, but not really reli­ name. those who don’t speak He­ this weekend benefit giously significant outside of On each of the drcidcl’s four brew.” Arts for Life, a local the miracle,” Sherman said. sides, there arc Hebrew letters, Sam Tocman, a IJNC'A alumnus, said Hanukkah nonprofit aiming to Hanukkah draws a great holding a gun to my head,” continues with a grin to ex­ one for each side. The letters trumps Christmas. improve children’s deal of attention in the main­ Sherman said. “It will never plain his mishaps, as well as are an acronym for “nes gadol “It teaches us about pa­ healthcare. stream despite its lack of reli­ happen. Also, Hanukkah Har­ odd attempts to celebrate Ha­ haya sham,” which translates tience. Instead of getting a gious importance to Jews. One ry didn’t exist. Jon Lovitz, nukkah with no Jewish influ­ to “a great miracle happened lump thing, we have to spread attempt to make the holiday funny man. Hanukkah Harry, ence to guide him. there,” refering to the miracle of Hanukkah, according to it over eight days. So you Ashcans, trains and more mainstream came about stupid character.” “My first time I used oil, but .Sherman. have eight days of anticipation Factories; Students with the invention of the Ha­ A more accepted attempt to that didn’t work since it spilled ' “It’s pretty much gambling instead of just one,” Tocman and Followers of the nukkah bush, also known as a explain Hanukkah is the Ru- a lot. The funniest memory for kids. Depending on what said. Eight Jewish Christmas tree. grats Hanukkah special, which though is - well, for Lent, we it lands on, the child will be Fisher, a non-Jewish stu­ Asheville Art Museum Another attempt showed airs on Nickelodeon every light a candle each Sunday and able to take all the pennies or dent, agreed with I'oeman. Through February 1 up with Jon Lovitz portrayal year. David Howard, a son of sing this song called, ‘Light candy they are playing with,” “You know which colors Monday - Saturday of Hanukkah Harry, a fictional a preacher, said he blames the One Candle to Watch for Mes­ siah.’ So I would sing that as Sherman said. arc better than red and green? 10 a.m.-5 p.m. response to Santa, on Saturday Rugrats for his interest in Ha­ I lit the hanukkiah, like, Tm Sherman said the top also Blue and white. Lveryone Sunday Night Live. Sherman said he nukkah. going to mesh you two things, has historical importance, and likes those colors. They’re 1 P-m. - 5 p.m. would never accept either of “I felt that before there and there’s not a thing you can the Jews used it as a learning even Bulldog colors. Really, $5 or $6 these things, especially the were Christians, there were do about it,” he said laughing. tool when they were forbidden the whole school should be Hanukkah bush. Jews. If it was a big deal for Howard says he grew out of to teach their children about celebrating Hanukkah,” Fisher Check out one of the “I make sure everybody can the religion before us, then celebrating, but he would start their heritage. said. four exhibits currently see my hanukkiah and I share why shouldn’t it be a big deal celebrating again if he can find Like most Jewish holidays. at the Asheville Art my chocolate, and by golly I for the religion based upon this Museum.

A Christmas Carol Asheville Community Decomposition Continued from Page X Theatre Friday and Saturday and tonal or thematic chem- 7-'30 p.m. sicians in a somewhat orderly I didn’t really form this group Na.sralla .said. “Other Saturday and Sunday manner with an unpredictable primarily for catharsis or re­ performances, like the ones 2:30 p.m. chaotic process.” directing feelings of angst in off-campus clubs that our Adults: $12 According to Nasralla, through noise,” Nasralla said. members play aren’t related Students/seniors: $8 “The music we make could be the Grotto performance was relatively complex, but it was to Decomposition aside from perceived as violent, but we the fact that the people play­ Watch the Montford well-received by the members didn’t want to be that group ing the shows know each other Park Players’ 32nd as a success. with violent imagery, slowly through or are involved in De­ performance of the baptizing our flaming gui­ “We used chess to com­ mand the musicians,” Nasralla composition .” classic Christmas tale tars.” said. “We split the perform­ Decomposition is a culmi­ by Charles Dickens. Several members of De­ ers in half and we gridded nation of multiple philoso­ composition played last month phies, according to Nasralla, the chess board so that every at Izzy’s, a coffee shop on but every member .shares one Singing Santa performer knew, by location Lexington Ave., although it basic outlook. Pntchard Park in of specific color-coded pieces, was not advertised as an offi­ “The musician or artist fowntown Asheville when and how to play their in­ cial Decomposition event. is often times engaged in an Saturdays through “We’ve only had four, may­ strument.” Other Decomposition per­ overlooked dialectical with ^ecember 20 be five public performances to formances include live radio their environment,” Na.sralla 9'30 Q.m. - 11 a.m. date,” Nasralla said. “Our first broadcasts at UNCA’s Blue “The space and overall was at the end of the spring se­ surroundings are feasible re­ Santa responds to Echo and solo performances at mester in the Highsmith Grot­ sources, and they affect an in­ gift wishes with a to. We were experimenting off-campus venues. “Our radio performances dividual’s art Just as dramati­ ^ong. and a mailbox with chance operations, audi­ were strange experiments in cally as the instruments they Accepts letters. ence participation and how we chance operations, language use to create it.” could conduct a group of mu­