November 25, 1998

KU WELCOMES HOLIDAYS WITH NEW, OLD TRADITIONS

LAWRENCE - The University of Kansas campus will soon start looking a lot like Christmas - and Hanukkah, Kwanzaa and other seasonal celebrations.

New this year will be a display of colorful banners in Strong Hall that features Hispanic celebrations, Native American celebrations, Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa and Chinese New Year, said Mary Burg, executive assistant to Chancellor Robert Hemenway.

Along with 6-foot-long banners, there will be informational pamphlets about each holiday in the rotunda as well as at the Multicultural Resource Center, located between the Military Science building and Summerfield Hall.

Hanukkah, the Jewish festival of light, begins at sundown, Dec. 13. Kwanzaa, a Swahili phrase meaning "first fruits," is an African-American holiday based on ancient African harvest celebrations. It runs from Dec. 26 through Jan.1, a period in African culture that calls for celebration, focus and assessment.

Other holiday events on Mount Oread include:

  • Poinsettias, dozens of them, will bring a flash of brilliant red to Strong Hall starting the first week of December in conjunction with Lawrence's month-long Festival of Poinsettias.

  • Christmas tree-lighting ceremony, 5 p.m. Monday, Dec. 7, at the Outlook, the Chancellor's residence. In addition to the chancellor lighting several trees around the residence, Christmas carols will be sung and there will be an a cappella performance by "Meli Melomane," a group of Haitian KU students. Faculty, staff and students are then invited inside the Outlook for a reception featuring hot cider and cookies.

  • Chancellor's holiday reception for faculty and staff will be from 3:30 to 5 p.m. Dec. 11 at the Adams Alumni Center.

  • Vespers, the 74th annual holiday concert, will be at 3:30 and 7:30 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 6 at the Lied Center. The traditional holiday concert, which features the KU choirs and orchestra, is presented by the Department of Music and Dance. Tickets are available through the KU box offices.

  • Spencer Museum of Art hosts a public celebration combining traditions of December holidays from 1 to 4 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 13. There will be music, food and activities for all ages. Participants can create origami while listening to performances by the Lawrence International Folk Dancers, Lawrence Children's Choir and Inspirational Gospel Voices. Faculty, staff and students will receive a 15 percent discount on items in the museum book shop.

  • "A Christmas Carol" will be performed at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 9, at the Lied Center. The Nebraska Theatre Caravan production features songs and sights of an old-fashioned Christmas plus favorite characters like the tight-fisted Ebenezer Scrooge.

  • "Imagination Workshop," KANU's nationally broadcast comedy show, will present its annual Yuletide show at 5 and 8 p.m. Saturday Nov. 28, at Liberty Hall in Lawrence. The 8 p.m. show will be broadcast live on KANU at 91.5 FM. The show will include topical take-offs on House Speaker Newt Gingrich's departure and John Glenn's space shuttle flight plus comic episodes of "The Casebook of Mobile Holmes," "Barbie and Ken At Home," and "The Old Ranger." Tickets cost $7 and $10 and are available at Liberty Hall and through Ticketmaster at (816) 931-3330.

    • Story by Todd Cohen, University Relations, (785) 864 8858 or tcohen@ukans.edu

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