Yes, it's that time of year again. Second only in holiday-themed horror to safety footage of Halloween costumes bursting into flames comes the perils of dangerous merry-making, like menorah candles next to the curtains and a Christmas tree that never gets watered. more ›

There's still time to get some shopping done for Hanukkah and Christmas and whatever else occasion is on the horizon, and if you have a food lover on your list and want to get them something "so L.A." we have put together a few gift ideas we think they would love. more ›

Whole Foods wants to wish its Jewish clientele a happy holiday this season — except it's the wrong holiday. Heeb Magazine spotted this confused display at the Whole Foods on Fairfax. more ›

In an effort to impress their Jewish customers, Ralph's Market at 3rd and La Brea got crafty with their Coke display. And it's a good deal too! Tonight is evening #5 of 8 of the latke-filled, festival of lights. Here's to a happy (and carbonated) Hanukkah.
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Just in time for the big kickoff to to Hanukkah this important question appears like holiday head trauma. Why is Matisyahu on ice skates dressed as Mr. Claus and locked in a Narnia birdcage with another dude named Matisyahu and also the Nutcracker? Cause its the new best holiday song since Tom Lehrer spent Hanukkah in Santa Monica, of course! No really, it's funny. It's a Miracle! more ›

Hanukkah 5771 comes a-knocking tomorrow. Ready, set, menorah. The festival of light n' latkes begins at sundown on Wednesday Dec. 1 and kicks off eight straight nights of waxy goodness, head-covered blessings, dreidel spinning action, golden gelt melts, and fried potato madness. Stay tuned to LAist for all your Hanukkah needs during this week of wonder. Also, this: more ›

Tonight is the first night of Hanukkah, the Festival of Lights. But one happy fact is that while not everyone will participate in the dreidel spinning and menorah lighting, the food of Hanukkah is some of the best fare that transcends denominational boundaries, thanks to the universal appeal of fried food and sweet treats. more ›

The holidays seem to start earlier and earlier with each passing year. Soon after the Halloween decorations are taken down, cities become wrapped in tinsel and holiday music takes over the airwaves. However, amidst the grand seasonal spectacle, sometimes Hanukkah receives only a token decoration or the occasional play of the "The Dreidel Song." It is for that reason that Rob Tannenbaum and David Fagin formed Good for the Jews, a musical comedy group determined to "put the Ha! in Hanukkah." more ›

It’s a quiet night around town tonight, but here are a few options if you feel like venturing out: more ›

Elie Seckback of NBA FanHouse knows how to celebrate the Festival of Lights. He turned his camera on several athletes and entertainers, all who want to wish you a-- Happy Hanukkah! more ›

The Count Basie Orchestra takes to the Walt Disney Concert Hall stage at 8 pm tonight for “A Swingin' Christmas.” The legacy of Count Basie and his Kansas City sound lives on in his outfit, and you can be sure they’ll put a jazzy twist to Christmas classics. more ›

Last night was the first night of Hanukkah and was observed accordingly by Jews all over Los Angeles by the lighting of the first of eight candles on the menorah. But the "Festival of Lights" this year might be casting a greenish glow on its observers as the move to make the ancient holiday more "eco-friendly" takes motion. more ›

PhiLAnthropist's last minute picks for gifts that give more...check out the first PhiLAnthropist Gift Guide for more ideas. more ›

Jamie Sneider is, for all intents and purposes, a nice Jewish girl. She grew up Reform Jewish outside of Boston, went to NYU, and lived in New York for years working as a writer and performer before moving to L.A. more ›

This year, with the official start of the holiday season tragically mired in a financial fiasco, the fires and soaring temperatures feeling more Summer than Fall, and Prop 8’s passage reminding us all we’ve still a long way to go, it’s enough to think drowning your sorrows in gravy and cheese balls is the answer to all of life’s problems. So, as tempting as it is to stress eat (think Jack Donaghy of "30 Rock") and entirely abandon 2008’s diet and exercise resolutions, a recent and highly publicized article in the New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM) is reminding us yet again that it’s crucial to be smart about food choices. With the belly fat-wielding juggernaut of Thanksgiving, Christmas/Hanukkah, and the Holiday Party on the horizon, we here at the ScientIST bring you a helping of science and common sense to successfully navigate the next few months. Your waistline can thank us later.
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If you ask me, it doesn't really feel like Christmas. more ›

Photo taken at The Grove by Peggy Archer... more ›

"Come light the menorah, raise your hands in the air. Sip that Manischewitz like you just don't care." more ›

Snow. It's great when you're watching it from inside a heated room, like magic dust bunnies dropping from the celestial ceiling. It's much less magical when you're trying to strategically pee inside your car door to defrost the locks. Call it lifestyle differences, we Angelenos prefer our holidays merry and BRIGHT with a high of 72. The following local heroes offer proof positive that a white Christmas is not a requirement for high spirits.... more ›

A long time ago, but right around this time of year, I was sitting in a living room with a record collector pal, poring through the bins of seasonal vinyl from the likes of Jethro Tull, Merle Haggard and Fear. My friend looked up from his fourth or so glass of nog and remarked, "What am I listening to all this Jesus stuff for? I should put on the Blue Oyster Cult Hanukkah album."... more ›

We would like to take a moment to thank this week's advertisers on LAist. more ›

Earlier this week on LAist we passed on a treasured recipe for latkes, and two Hanukkahs ago we ran the closest thing to my late Grandpa (AKA "The Latke King")'s recipe. Latkes (potato pancakes) are a tasty and traditional food long associated with the holiday of Hanukkah, which rocks its halfway point at sundown tonight. But soaking up the oil that is at the core of the holiday isn't just something for members of the... more ›

Hanukkah is the one holiday of the year that celebrates oil. How could I not love it? Luckily for me, I grew up next-door to Mrs. Barton, an excellent cook and my "adoptive Jewish mother". Every year I remember her up to her elbows in the world's biggest Tupperware bowl, mixing up the potato pancakes. As a newlywed, I was terrified hosting my first dinner party. I went over to Mrs. Barton's house to... more ›

It was a craaaaazy night on the town. You took dozens of photos with your pocket-sized digital camera. But you don't have Photoshop, and all you want to do is upload your pics directly to Flickr (something you could even do wirelessly if Hanukkah Harry hooks you up with with an Eye-Fi). Good news. Flick just went live with a new feature that allows you to crop, resize, touch-up, de-red-eye, brighten, and flip your... more ›

We would like to take a moment to thank this week's advertisers on LAist. more ›

We would like to take a moment to thank this week's advertisers on LAist. more ›

We would like to take a moment to thank this week's advertisers on LAist. more ›

We would like to take a moment to thank this week's advertisers on LAist. more ›

There's nothing like an over-elaborate Christmas lawn display to get us in the spirit of the season. Unfortunately, it seems that this year there has been some neighborly discord regarding a particular display in Hancock Park. You see, a nice Jewish lady in this nice Jewish neighborhood appears to have more of a sense of humor than her neighbors and, among other things, has erected a large Santa in her yard that asks rhetorically,... more ›

On this, the first night of Hanukkah, a holiday that commemorates a successful Jewish revolt against an oppressive king, it seems fitting to honor Judaism's most valiant heroes. Forget all the great thinkers, activists, comedians and football players us Jews have spawned. I'm talking about the leotard-loving, cape-wearing crusaders of the Jewish Hero Corps, a slew of Semitic superheroes with an array of incredibly dorky and uniquely Jew-y super-powers. -- Minyan Man turns into... more ›