People celebrating Kwanzaa. Kwanzaa is a holiday through
which African-Americans can connect with their heritage and
culture. It's celebrated from December 26 through January 1,
with each of the seven days focusing on one of seven core
values (Nguzo Saba). A candle is lit on each day, and on the
last day, gifts are exchanged. Since Kwanzaa is a cultural
holiday, rather than a religious one, it can be celebrated
alongside Christmas or Hanukkah, or on its own.
!! Steps !!
Decorate your home or the main room with the symbols of Kwanzaa. Put
a green tablecloth over a centrally located table, and on top of
that, place the _Mkeka_ which is a straw or woven mat that
symbolizes the historical foundation of African ancestry. Place the
following on the _Mkeka_:
* Mazao - crops represent the community's productivity; place fruit
in a bowl;
* Kinara - the candle-holder
* Mishumaa Saba - the seven candles which represent the seven core
principles of Kwanzaa; three candles on the left are red (to
represent struggle), three on the right are green (hope) and one
in the center is black (people).
* Muhindi - lay out one ear of corn for each child; if there are no
children, place two ears to represent the children of the
community
* Zawadi - gifts for the children
* Kikombe cha Umoja - a cup to represent family and community unity
* Decorate around the room with Kwanzaa flags and posters
emphasizing the seven principles. You can purchase or make these,
and it's especially fun to make them with the kids.
Starting on December 26, greet everyone by saying "Habari Gani"
which is a standard Swahili greeting meaning "what is the news?".
If someone greets you, respond with the principle (Nguzo Saba) for
that day:
* December 26 - "Umoja" - Unity.
* December 27 - "Kujichagulia" - Self-determination.
* December 28 - "Ujima" - Collective work and responsibility.
* December 29 - "Ujamaa" - Cooperative economics.
* December 30 - "Nia" - Purpose.
* December 31 - "Kuumba" - Creativity.
* January 1 - "Imani" - Faith.
Light the Kinara daily. Since each candle represents a specific
principle, they are lit one day at a time, in a certain order. The
black candle is always lit first. Some people light the remaining
candles from left to right (red to green) while other people
alternate as follows:
* black candle
* far left red candle
* far right green candle
* second red candle
* second green candle
* last red candle
* last green candle
Have the Kwanzaa Karamu (feast) on the sixth day (New Year's Eve).
The Kwanzaa feast is a very special event that brings everyone
closer to their African roots. It is traditionally held on December
31st and is a communal and cooperative effort. Decorate the place
where the feast will be held in a red, green, and black scheme. A
large Kwanzaa setting should dominate the room where the feast will
be held. A large Mkeka should be placed in the center of the floor
where the food is placed creatively and made accessible to all to
serve themselves. Before and during the feast, an informative and
entertaining program should be presented.
* Traditionally, the program should involve welcoming, remembering,
reassessment, recommitment and rejoicing, concluded by a farewell
statement and a call for greater unity.
* Give out the gifts of Kuumba. Kuumba, meaning creativity, is
highly encouraged and brings a sense of self-satisfaction. The
gifts are usually exchanged between the parents and children and
are given out traditionally on January 1st, the last day of
Kwanzaa. Since the giving of gifts has very much to do with
Kuumba, the gifts should be of an educational or artistic nature.
!! Video !!
!! Tips !!
* Kwanzaa means "first fruits of the harvest" in the African
language Kiswahili. Many of the phrases used in Kwanzaa are in
Swahili, which was the language chosen to represent African
heritage.
!! Related WikiHows !!
* How to Celebrate Hanukkah
* How to Celebrate Christmas
* How to Celebrate Diwali
* How to Be Proud to Be Black
* How to Find Long Lasting Candles
!! Sources And Citations !!
* http://www.tike.com/celeb-kw.htm – research source
* http://dartreview.com/archives/2001/01/15/the_story_of_kwaanza.php
– research source
* http://www.melanet.com/kwanzaa/whatis.html – research source
* http://www.history.com/minisites/kwanzaa/ – research source
!! Article Tools !!
* Read on wikiHow
*
0 comments:
Post a Comment