Observing Kwanzaa

While Kwanzaa is cultural alternative to its commercialized counterpart; I choose to celebrate both Christmas and Kwanzaa with my family. Why do I do this you ask? Well, I do not live in a bubble and I understand that we are all different and my choices are just that: my own. I enjoy spending time with family and friends as we celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ. I don't want to alienate anyone who does not celecrate Kwanzaa. Kwanzaa was created in 1966 by Maulana Karenga born Ronald McKinley Everett. According to Wikipedia Karenga created the weeklong holiday,

"to help African Americans reconnect with their African cultural and historical heritage by uniting in meditation and study of African traditions and Nguzu Saba, the seven principles of African Heritage."

The 7 Principles (Nguzo Saba)

Umoja - Unity
To strive for and to maintain unity in the family, community, nation, and race.

Kujichagulia - Self-Determination
To define ourselves, name ourselves, create for ourselves, and speak for ourselves.

Ujima - Collective Work and Responsibility
To build and maintain our community together and make our brothers' and sisters' problems our problems, and to solve them together.

Ujamaa - Cooperarive Econmics
To build and maintain our own stores, shops, and other businesses and to profit from them together.

Nia - Purpose
To make our collective vocation the building and developing of our community in order to restore our people to their traditional greatness.

Kuumba - Creativity
To do always as much as we can, in the way we can, in order to leave our community more beautiful and beneficial than we inherited it.

Imani -Faith
To believe with all our hearts in God, our people, our parents, our teachers, our leaders, and the righteousness and victory of our struggle.

Each One Teach One
Howstuffworks.com has compiled an awesome list of crafts to help your little one's enjoy the cultural holiday. Its a great way to start a dialogue with young children who may be celebrating for the first time. You can discuss the principles  http://tlc.howstuffworks.com/family/kwanzaa-crafts.htm

I purchased my Kinara from the Shrine of the Black Madonna several years ago. It was a kit that included the Kinara, seven candles, a mat and the wooden cup. I was not been able to locate it this year and have decided to let the kids make one as a craft. This seems to be a pretty simple one that I think the kids will enjoy. I will post pictures of the end result. http://crafts.kaboose.com/egg-carton-kinara.html

Happy Umoja!