Poetic Tongues
by Fabu
Reflecting on Christmas and Kwanzaa

         In January 2009, Barack Obama becomes the 44th President of The United States and the first one to acknowledge being Black. The historian J.
A. Rogers traced the family trees of other presidents and surmised that more than one had African roots that they kept secret.  January is both the
birthday of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and the inauguration date of President Obama. I definitely see January 2009 as a month of joyous celebration. In
the remaining days of December, however, I’d like to invite people into an introspective time of reflection. As the earth rests covered in snow, let us
also rest by remembering what has been good in 2008 and appreciating two holidays, Christmas which heralds the birth of Jesus and Kwanzaa which
gives us seven days to remember and share the good with family.
       Christmas is a spiritual holiday and no amount of American commercialization can ever change that fact. A growing recession resulting in many
people losing jobs, higher costs, the devaluation of the dollar, and a second plea to the government for a major financial bailout has caused families
to become more fractured than ever before. This compels us to keep the focus on Christmas as a sacred, holy day. For when we focus on Christmas as
sacred and as a time to remember that Jesus is real, just as our inner spirits are real, then we decide not to give into the stress of external pressures.
Christmas as sacred and holy means that we don’t have to prove our love and value to family and friends by the amount of money we spend on gifts we
share. Christmas as sacred and holy means that our circumstances don’t dictate our happiness but instead we see that being alive and having hope for
a better tomorrow are important. Christmas as sacred and holy means we invite this “real Jesus” into our hearts, into our lives and especially into our dire
circumstances. December 25 is the day we set aside to welcome and thank Jesus the Christ for loving us so very tremendously.
       Kwanzaa is a cultural holiday that celebrates being African American for seven days, with seven symbols (fruits and vegetables, a straw place mat,
ears of corn, a communal cup, a seven-branch candleholder and seven candles) placed on a Kwanzaa table that refers to seven essential principals
that are significant to us as a people. Kwanzaa is a time to deepen our relationships with family and friends by gathering and talking about one
principal each night and how that principal is alive and functioning in our family, our community, our nation and this world. From December 26
through January 1, on each day of Kwanzaa, a family member lights a candle, then everyone discusses the principal of that day. December 26 is
Umoja (Unity), December 27 is Kujichagulia (Self-Determination), December 28 is Ujima (Collective Work and Responsibility), December 29 is Ujamma
(Cooperative Economics), December 30 is Nia (Purpose), December 31 is Kuumba (Creativity) and January 1 is Imani (Faith). There is more to
understanding Kwanzaa than this brief overview, for it is a celebration that is simple yet profound.  Kwanzaa is for everybody who proudly acknowledges
his or her African heritage. We celebrate President Barack Obama’s victory, the children in our families who worked hard in school, our elders who
share their wisdom with us, and accomplishments both large and small that occurred in 2008.
       In wintertime, the harvest has been gathered and the earth lies in repose. In wintertime, we gather together to thank our Creator for Jesus and for
the blessing of being a unique African American people. May you and yours have a blessed Christmas, an exciting Kwanzaa celebration and all the
hope and promise that a new year brings.
       There is a free Kwanzaa celebration on Saturday, December 27, from 1-3 p.m. at Olbrich Botanical Gardens.