Kwanzaa
Traditions
Kwanzaa traditions center around the seven principles of the holiday, one for each night.
The celebration begins each night with someone calling out the greeting “Habari gani?” In response to the question, which loosely means “What’s the news?” everybody responds with the name of the principle for that night.
The candles of the kinara are then lit in a specific order. The first night, the black candle is lit. Each subsequent night, one more candle is lit, going from left to right.
The Seven Nights and Principles of Kwanzaa
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)
The sixth night, December 31, features a large feast called Karamu. On the final night, a farewell statement is given; everybody takes a final drink from the unity cup, and the kinara candles are extinguished.
Activities
Kwanzaa is a family affair, so choose activities that honor and celebrate your nearest and dearest:
• Put together a family scrapbook—Ask guests to bring their favorite photos and small, special mementos from the year and organize them into a scrapbook.
• Let your creativity shine—Group sing-alongs, poetry readings and dance performances get the joint jumpin’ and keep everybody in the holiday spirit.
• Create a family tree—Round up relatives to help you map out your family tree.
• Make jewelry—String African beads into colorful necklaces and earrings. These will make gorgeous additions to your Kwanzaa Set and make great gifts.
Decorations
Decorate your home in the traditional colors of the holiday–green, red and black—using streamers, balloons and African prints. Display African art objects, textiles and maps on tables and walls. And, most importantly, set aside a special place for your Kwanzaa set.
A Kwanzaa Set, the traditional symbols of Kwanzaa, is the centerpiece of your Kwanzaa celebration. Place these items on a low table, or on the floor, in a central location of your party area. Place colorful floor pillows around the table for guests to sit on.
How to Display your Kwanzaa Set
1. Cover a table in an African cloth that is green, red and black.
2. Place a large mat (called a mkeka) on the cloth. The other items will then be placed on, or around, the mat.
3. Place the Kwanzaa candleholder (kinara) on the cloth, and add the seven candles (mishumaa saba); one black, three red and three green. Put the black candle in the center, the green candles to the right of it, and the red candles to its left.
4. Crops (mazao), usually represented by various colorful fruits and vegetables, are then placed on the table, along with ears of corn. The corn symbolizes children; there should be an ear of corn on the table for each child in the family. If there are no children in your home, place two ears on the table to represent the importance of children to the community.
5. The next item you display is your unity cup (kikombe cha umoja).
6. Lastly, round out your display with traditional Kwanzaa gifts (zawadi): books, African art objects and handmade items.
