Africans celebrate the kwanzaa harvest festival annually, which is a combination of different customs from various cultures. The flag is the symbol of unity among all the African people around the world. Each color represents something: black for the people, red for their blood, and green for the future and the Earth. Just like other festivals, there are gatherings and parties. But what makes Kwanzaa unique are the traditions principles and symbols that African-Americans observe.
There are so many exciting facts about Kwanzaa , as you can see below. While it is a joyful event for African-Americans, the holiday teaches you many life lessons about honoring your origin, culture and ancestry, rekindling the bonds of family and community, and reminding everyone to love one another and help the needy and less fortunate.
Umoja remembers the togetherness of family, friends and the African communities around the world. Kujichagulia celebrates the ability for self-expression, creativity and definition. The third principle, ujima is about communal consensus building and problem-solving. On the other hand, the fourth principle, ujamaa , focuses on the community through sharing the wealth and distributing the work without exploiting anyone.
Nia or intention means to renew the commitment to upholding the heritage and history of the black people and working to ensure that the black culture gains prominence. Creativity or kumba , which is observed on the sixth day, looks into the obligation to ensure the prosperity of the community for later generations. On the seventh day is the commemoration of imani , which reminds people to remain positive and believe in the power and capability of the individual and the entire community.
Kwanzaa has an evening candle-lighting ceremony similar to Hanukkah. People gather to discuss the particular principle of the day, what the principle means to each person, and how they put the principle into practice. The evening may include an activity that is related to the principle. Aside from the seven principles or traditions, Kwanzaa also has seven holiday symbols, namely crops fruits, nuts, and vegetables , gifts , ears of corn , and straw mat.
Moreover, there are seven candles colored black, green and red on a kinara candleholder and community cup. The celebration on the last day of the year is usually grand, with a community feast or karamu , where African-American families are joining the celebration. Some of them wear traditional clothes. There could be traditional African drums, dances, songs, poetry reading, and storytelling. Typically, the feast consists of traditional African dishes.
On the first night, light the black candle. One of these is the celebration of the harvest. Working towards a successful harvest is a communal effort, as is the celebration. Organization adopted the basic principles of the harvest celebrations in Africa to create the observance of Kwanzaa.
Karenga recognized that on the whole, African Americans do not live in an agricultural setting. Nonetheless, he sought to emphasize that the basic principles found in producing the harvest are vital to building and maintaining strong and wholesome communities. In this-way, Kwanzaa was developed. Kwanzaa is that time when we reflect on our use of the basic principles, share and enjoy the fruits of our labor, and recommit ourselves to the collective achievement of a better life for our family, our community, and our people.
There are symbols which have a special meaning to the celebration of Kwanzaa. Alexis Maycock is a wife to Thomas and mom to two amazing girls, Maylin and Malia. She blogs over at Motherhood Menageries where she helps moms to thrive in the midst of the sometimes chaos of motherhood through positive parenting solutions.
You must be logged in to post a comment. Like most parents, I got involved with the PTA soon after my first two children were enrolled in our local public elementary school, Jane…. What Is Kwanzaa? Mazao, the crops fruits, nuts, and vegetables Symbolizes work and the basis of the holiday. Mkeka: Place Mat The mkeka, made from straw or cloth, comes directly from Africa and expresses history, culture, and tradition.
Vibunzi: Ear of Corn The stalk of corn represents fertility and symbolizes that through the reproduction of children, the future hopes of the family are brought to life. Kinara: The Candleholder The kinara is the center of the Kwanzaa setting and represents the original stalk from which we came: our ancestry.
On the first night of Kwanzaa, we light the black Umoja candle in the middle, which represents the principle of unity. During this time, everyone is given the opportunity to reflect on what the principle means to them. On the subsequent nights, we repeat this process, alternating between red and green candles, for the remaining six Kwanzaa principles. Traditionally, the culminating event of Kwanzaa takes place on December 31 in the form of a large feast known as the karamu.
As someone who loves to entertain in a beautiful setting with great food, the karamu is my favorite part of our Kwanzaa celebration. My tablescape is inspired by the red and black Kwanzaa candles and the gold accents are a nod to the rich history of Africa. The handmade mudcloth and twigs runner and batik bone napkin rings are additional elements that I used to place traditional craftsmanship within a contemporary context.
The organic edges of the plates and the earthy texture of the rattan placemats bring a stylish warmth to the table too. Though it varies from year to year, our Kwanzaa menu always features a curated collection of dishes that represent different cuisines within the African diaspora. She splits her time between the Washington, D.
0コメント