They're back-to-back this year, folks, so pick the one (or ones) that fit for you:

Happy Hanukkah...Merry Christmas...Happy Kwanzaa.

Channukah (that's another spelling; there are at least 16 of them) is celebrated for eight days, Dec. 24-32,(although it actually begins the night of the 23rd)...Christmas is the 25th, and Kwanzaa is Dec. 26-Jan. 1.

Dr. Maulana Ron Karenga--he's a professor at California State University in Long Beach--founded Kwanzaa in 1966 as a celebration of African culture and family and unity. Dr. Karenga, in Cleveland recently, said that in this 30th year of Kwanzaa the theme is "bringing good into the world."

In Swahili, Kwanzaa translates to "first fruits of the harvest."

Khanuka (another of those spellings of the Jewish holiday)is the Hebrew term for "dedication" and is "the festival of lights."

Christmas, of course, is the Christian celebration of the birth of the "Light of the World," often called, "The Firstfruits" of resurrections.

So--blessings on all at these (or any other like celebrations by whatever names) special periods of the season!

It is fact, of course, that gift-giving is a part of this period, regardless of the celebration.

"Beanie Babies" are still out there.

So is "Barbie."

The "BB" creator--Ty Inc.--brings out new ones and "retires" old ones periodically, which, of course, makes for a demand for old ones.

Some sellers of the little rascals say that demand (and the mushrooming value of some dolls) is to the point where it's not the kids, but the kids' parents who want the cuddly creatures; they want them as investments!

That kind of thing led to a couple of folks in Medina to allegedly set up a scam: they advertised in newspapers in many cities, claiming to have Beanie Babies that they did not have. People sent them money...lots of money for the rare BB's that the couple advertised, but apparently did not have.

Those big bucks did not come from little kids, folks.

The other "B"--Barbie--of course is supposed to be getting a much-ballyhooed "new look" to bring her more in line with a real-person-appearance: smaller bust, slimmer hips, thicker waist.

Someone figured out that if Barbie were for real, she would have measurements of 38-18-34.

(There is no truth to one of the "Barbie We'd Like to See" bon mots making the computer e-mail rounds: "The dinner roll Barbie: has multiple love handles, double chin, a really curvy belly, and large thighs to show girls that voluptuousness is also beautiful; it comes with a miniature basket of dinner rolls, bucket of fried chicken, three packs of potato chips, a tiny pastry ring and brick of ice cream; also has a tee-shirt that reads, 'Only the Weak Don't Eat,' and, of course, an appetite.")

And, a more realistic Barbie does not necessarily mean a less-glamourous Barbie.

No way!

Bob Mackie was hired to design new gowns for Barbie. And who better? Mackie has awards running rampant over his drawing boards for his theatrical and other designs!

This is the talent, folks, who put together those smashing costumes and sets for the Cleveland (now the Cleveand San Jose) Ballet production of the big hit, "Blue Suede Shoes."

For the ballet now, of course, the holiday season ticket is "The Nutcracker." And speaking of "ticket" (is that a smooth segue, or what!?!), the price range is $15-$55 for performances (for information: 216-621-2260) at the State Theatre on Playhouse Square.

It's a 19-year-old production, but the ads say, "You haven't seen Cleveland San Jose Ballet's The Nutcracker until you see it this year." The show has a new family home for the Tannebaums and a new lighting design. There are new curtain times, too: 7 p.m. for evening performances, 1 p.m. for matinees.

(There's a "Nutcracker" in Canton, too, Dec. 19-20-21, at the Palace Theatre, with the 50-member Canton Ballet Company accompanied by the Canton Symphony Orchestra. This third annual production is a really big show, with lots of kids as reindeer, several specialty dancers, and new costumes.) Other holiday "stuff:"

"A Christmas Carol" (through Dec. 27) is at Ohio Theatre. (Tickets: $21-$37, 241-6000). It's the ninth year for the production by Great Lakes Theater Festival.

The Cleveland Play House is running "It's a Wonderful Life" through Dec. 28 (795-7000; tickets: $32-$39).

Another area tradition, Langston Hughes' "Black Nativity"--it's been around here since 1979--is at Karamu Performing Arts Theatre through Jan. 4.

Beck Center in Lakewood has "The King and I" on the Main Stage through Dec. 28 (tickets: $5 for students, $11-$13 for seniors and $12-$14 for adults; call 521-2540). "Greater Tuna" is playing the Studio Theater at Beck through Dec. 21.

Christmas Concerts of The Cleveland Orchestra, the Orchestra Chorus, Children's Chorus, Cleveland State University Choruses and Kent State Choruses run through Dec. 21. Tickets are $21-$50, but some performances have only limited seating. Call 231-1111.

At the New Hanna Cabaret, "The All Night Strut!" is still strutting. New songs and some new performances have been added for the holidays for the popular show that runs through Dec. 31. (Tickets are $24.50 for all shows except Friday and Saturday evenings when prices go to $29.50; call 241-6000.)

More big shows are coming:

At the end of the month, "Cirque Ingenieux" cames to the Palace Theatre on Playhouse Square (Dec. 26-Jan. 4).

It's one of those "you-gotta'-see-it-to-believe-it" kinds of shows. The New York Daily News calls it, "...an exciting, European-style stage show that combines amazing performance artistry, acrobatic audacity and limitless imagination all in one." (It would not be out of place to think "Cirque du Soleil" when considering "Cirque Ingenieux.")

Incidentally, the 16 performances here make up one of the largest blocks of shows on the current "Cirque" tour.

In early January, "Riverdance" plalys the State Theatre (Jan. 6-18). "Peter Pan" with Kathy Rigby flies into the Palace Jan. 27-Feb. 1.

At the movies, of course, is "Amistad."

Some critics like it a lot; others don't.

It's a part of history that few Americans apparently knew anything about until now. One thing is for sure, a lot of Americans now know about the 1839 revolt on the slave ship that led to the American trial of Africans who rebelled against their captors.

Legal battles are waged over the movie; articles (Smithsonian has a good one in the December issue) are all over the place on the event; television has done the story in documentary fashion; an opera is out there about it, as well as a novel. (If you want to inundate yourself with stuff about it, go to a search engine and just type in "Amistad" in the search box.)

The trial of the African slaves is said to be the most important of its kind in this country until the Dred Scott case in 1856-57.

A bit of a footnote to all this history stuff (and you'll have to hang on to get through this): the lawyer who won the case for the Africans before the U.S. Supreme Court was former President John Quincy Adams.

John Quincy Adams was the first American President to visit Akron (he was there for the dedication of the Summit County Courthouse in 1843).

The latest U.S. President to visit Akron is William Clinton. He was there earlier this month, of course, for the "Town Hall" meeting on race relations. They're still talking about Clinton and his race relations forum. (Akron Community Foundation has given the Coming Together Project in Akron a $50,000 grant for future work toward improving race relations.)

And now, there's a lot of talk about race relations and La Amistad.

Yeah, yeah, yeah! Well, you were told you'd have to hang on to get through the tying of all that together. And nobody said the "hanging on" might do damage to your fingernails.

But hey: "Amistad" in Spanish means, "Friendship."

And what better word for this season of Christmas, Kwanzaa, or Hanukkah?

Peace be with you all!