Fresno Famous

Christmas is over, yes, but the holiday season rages on like a drunken Godzilla crushing through Tokyo. You can either put your arms over your face and scream (and get stomped), or embrace it with a little (or a lot) of good-natured partying.
You can return all those crappy presents first.

Kwanzaa
First, let’s clear something up.
Kwanzaa is no religious holiday.
We see how you could make the mistake. It does take place right after Christmas and lasts a bunch of days like Hanukkah. But the celebration, started in 1965 by Dr. Maulana Karenga, acknowledges African heritage and unites African-American families and communities by bringing forth the principles of unity, self-determination, collective work and responsibility, cooperative economics, purpose, creativity and faith.
Got that?
Kwanzaa runs through Jan. 1. For more information on Kwanzaa, visit Kwanzaa Time (www.kidsdomain.com/holiday/kwanzaa/index.html) or Super Kwanzaa Crafts (www.thebestkidsbooksite.com/kwanzaacrafts.cfm).

Hmong New Year
Is there anything more “Fresno,” than Hmong New Year?
The huge, weeklong party down at the Fairgrounds, shows what we all know, but sometimes forget.
Fresno is one heck of a diverse place.
And the celebration — with its traditional events, cultural demonstrations, music and dancing — is an eye-opening experience for anyone that thinks otherwise. This might be one of the largest such events in the nation, drawing more than 100,000 people each year (no, they’re not all Hmong, so you can totally go).
It’s happening daily, through Jan. 1.
Details: www.hmongnewyear.us

Winter Solstice
OK, technically the solstice, which is marked by the shortest day of the year, already happened — at 1:08 a.m., Dec. 22, if you want to get all exact.
So, yeah, winter is so on.
Still, you can celebrate with the 7th Annual Winter Solstice Concert with Lyquid Amber and Cerro Negro — a huge double-bill show, 8 p.m., Dec. 29, at the Unitarian Universalist Church of Fresno, 2672 E. Alluvial, Fresno. All the info can be found at www.fresnofolkconcerts.com.

New Year’s
Is it lame to admit you’ve already planned out your New Year’s Eve and it probably involves Dick Clark (or Ryan Seacrest), champagne and Peach Schnapps?
Yeah?
Well, just ignore that and say we’ll be at the Dance Dance Party Party at Severance Dance Hall (the newly remodeled version on Wishon Avenue in the Tower District).
The event features some pretty cool DJs like Catacombs, The Cave; Norbious, from Portugal; Heinz, from Meatball Magic and D-Monica from Amsterdam, and is sponsored by VitaminWater (which we hear is great mixed with vodka). The party, party (or is it a dance, dance?) benefits the California Arts Academy and starts at 8 p.m.
Check it out at www.myspace.com/dancepartyfresno