Poetic Tongues/Fabu
Kwanzaa Starts with Family, Mind and Soul
We need the hope that Kwanzaa brings to assure us that family, culture and blessings are being honored and celebrated in our reflections at the end of each year. Several reasons that I enjoy the Kwanzaa Celebration (December 26 to January 1) are because Kwanzaa focuses on what is good and meaningful in the lives of Black people and asks us to set aside one week to connect with family and friends and acknowledge what the past year has brought. Healthy, delicious, traditional food from Africa, North and South America and the Caribbean are welcomed too.
Kwanzaa, which means “first fruits” in the Swahili language is a celebration linked to ancient African harvest celebrations around the world after the last crops are gathered and people hold ceremonies in appreciation of the food that was harvested. Kwanzaa is based on African traditions, rituals, and values that inspired founder, Dr. Maulana Karenga and others in the Los Angeles community, in 1966, to remember what connects us to Black people world-wide and to set aside time to reflect on seven, important life principals: Unity, Self-Determination, Collective Work and Responsibility, Cooperative , Purpose, Creativity and Faith.
The number seven is important in the celebration of Kwanzaa, beginning with the seven letters in the word itself, the seven principals, and seven symbols on a Kwanzaa table to be enjoyed over seven days. The seven symbols are seven candles, a candle holder, a mat, ears of corn, the unity cup, produce (fruit and vegetables) and gifts that are handmade or functional like books or quilts. All the symbols of Kwanzaa can be handmade, or it is possible to order Kwanzaa kits. All of us have candles, straw mats, ears of dry corn, cups and fruits and vegetables. This is not an expensive nor commercial holiday, but one that includes youth and honors elders.
What makes the celebration important is your family’s interpretation of the seven principals, the personal meaning of the seven symbols (did your children make the mat out of paper or did a favorite elder weave the mat) and how each person shares their unique family story using the symbols and connecting the principals. This means that Kwanzaa is a global celebration that connects African Americans to Black people around the world, while it is a national celebration focusing on the African American experience, yet it is very unique in how each local family chooses to share personal family stories.
The beginning of every person is in the individual hearts and homes of each family. Kwanzaa can be celebrated well in each home by one person or a family. Elevate the Kwanzaa table by turning over a box, cover it in African cloth and place the seven symbols on it. Collect seven candles; 1 Black, 3 green and 3 red, which represent the seven principals and the colors represent our people, land, and our blood. During the holiday season, these candles are readily available. Use a woven mat that you can make, which represents family, woven together in love. Either use a candle holder for seven candles or use seven individual candle holders which represents holding our history and culture. A unity cup symbolizes the continuous circle of life and honors our ancestors. Place your favorite fruits and vegetables on the table to represent harvest, along with dried corn. The dried corn represents children. Gifts on your Kwanzaa table should be handmade or items with powerful meaning like books, quilts, photographs, or family legacy items. The real meaning of Kwanzaa is setting aside time at the end of the year to celebrate the good that has happened in our family, in our community, and for Black people around the world. While we live, there is always much to celebrate.
