Kwanzaa started on December 26th. It is celebrated for seven nights with a different principal each night. You light a kinara. Similar to Hanukkah, a different candle is added each night. The black candle is lit on the first night. For the other nights, you alternate between adding a red or green candle.
The words are in Swahili. It is spoken in Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Mozambique and Zimbabwe.
The seven principals include:
- Umoja:
Unity - Unity of the family, community, nation and race
- Kujichagulia:
Self-Determination - Being responsible for your own conduct and behavior
- Ujima:
Collective work and responsibility - Working to Help each other and in the
community
- Ujamaa:
Cooperative economics - Working to build shops and businesses
- Nia:
Purpose - Remembering and restoring African and African American cultures,
customs and history
- Kuumba:
Creativity - Using creating and your imagination to make communities
better
- Imani: Faith - Believing in people, families, leaders, teachers and the righteousness of the African American struggle
I like these principals. They are all good things. They are about working together to build stronger communities. I don't know if I know anyone who celebrates Kwanzaa. It's not part of a specific religion. It was
created by Dr. Maulana Karenga in 1966 to bring African Americans together. After the Civil Rights Act (1964) and the Voting Rights Act (1965) were passed but when they were still new laws. It was during the strongest period of adjustment in the country.
Along with the principals are the following symbols. They are set on a Kwanzaa table together
- Mkeka: The
Mat - A woven mat made of fabric, raffia, or paper. The other symbols are
placed on the Mkeka. It symbolises experiences and foundations.
- Kikombe
cha Umoja: The Unity Cup - Represents family and community. It is filled
with water, fruit juice or wine. A little is poured out to remember the
ancestors. The cup is share between people and each person takes a sip.
- Mazao: The
Crops - Fruit and vegetables from the harvest. These normally includes bananas,
mangoes, peaches, plantains, oranges, or other favourites! They are shared
out.
- Kinara:
The Candleholder - It represents the days, and principles of Kwanzaa
- Mishumaa
Saba: The Seven Candles - are placed in the kinara. Black, red and green
are the colours of the Bendera (African Flag)
- Muhindi:
The Corn - There is one ear of corn of each child in the family. If there
are no children in the family, then one ear is used to represent the
children in the community. It represents the future and the Navtive
Americans.
- Zawadi: Gifts - Gifts given to children during Kwanzaa are normally educational, such as a book, dvd or game. There's also a gift reminding them of their African heritage.
There are also
sometimes two extra symbols:
- Bendera: A
flag with three horizontal stripes of black, red and green
- Nguzo Saba Poster: A poster of the seven principles of Kwanzaa
Below is the word search I created for Kwanzaa:
| S | F | H | D | H | F | H | N | D | F | V | B | S | E | D | I | L | F | O | D | B | D | R | S | F | M | D | M | I | J | U |
| M | K | E | K | A | N | V | H | S | Z | L | R | S | E | D | D | D | I | T | W | E | L | F | N | K | I | N | A | R | A | F |
| U | U | F | L | N | D | M | F | L | F | O | B | N | F | B | T | D | D | F | L | N | O | D | R | W | E | N | D | D | R | S |
| G | U | J | I | M | A | S | E | D | I | T | H | S | K | T | K | B | T | E | D | D | D | N | D | A | S | B | Y | J | F | N |
| I | M | G | D | F | J | O | I | N | U | D | W | J | F | L | D | H | R | N | X | E | K | D | J | N | S | X | F | O | D | R |
| T | B | M | K | S | F | S | D | J | K | F | S | B | U | I | D | U | M | I | F | R | W | F | D | Z | A | W | A | D | I | D |
| F | A | D | G | M | F | K | I | K | I | M | B | E | C | H | A | U | M | O | J | A | A | L | D | A | F | L | F | O | D | R |
| F | L | F | O | D | G | F | N | U | H | U | H | N | D | F | V | M | B | S | E | D | I | G | O | A | E | D | I | T | W | J |
| E | D | I | T | W | G | N | D | J | N | H | V | H | S | Z | L | O | R | S | E | D | D | F | M | B | E | D | D | F | L | R |
| E | D | D | F | L | N | G | M | I | J | I | M | F | L | F | O | J | B | N | F | B | T | Q | S | Z | F | B | T | E | D | F |
| F | B | T | E | D | R | M | F | C | F | N | S | E | D | I | T | A | H | S | K | T | K | E | E | A | V | H | R | N | X | E |
| V | H | R | N | X | N | F | M | H | N | D | G | U | Z | K | I | I | W | J | F | L | D | T | D | H | T | K | F | J | Y | G |
| B | S | E | D | I | D | N | T | A | D | I | M | A | N | I | B | S | T | N | M | I | S | H | U | M | A | A | S | A | B | A |
| R | S | E | D | D | N | T | M | G | N | H | D | J | Y | K | Y | F | N | D | A | D | G | K | D | B | H | N | D | F | V | D |
| B | N | F | B | T | D | F | T | U | J | A | M | A | A | K | F | N | G | U | Z | A | S | A | B | A | V | H | S | Z | L | G |
| H | S | K | T | K | F | N | J | L | D | R | S | K | K | W | W | S | N | F | A | F | D | N | G | D | M | F | L | F | O | G |
| W | J | F | L | D | D | F | T | I | L | F | N | D | B | D | N | F | D | N | O | B | F | F | G | T | S | E | D | I | T | N |
| J | F | G | N | D | G | N | I | A | O | D | R | N | H | K | U | G | J | F | J | F | N | N | F | F | F | Y | J | D | F | N |
| D | D | F | M | B | E | D | D | O | B | N | F | B | T | D | B | D | N | B | T | E | D | R | M | D | D | R | S | D | R | S |
| B | T | Q | S | Z | F | B | T | T | H | S | K | T | K | N | H | K | U | H | R | N | X | N | F | Y | J | F | N | L | F | N |
| Bendera | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Imani | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Kikimbe Cha Umoja | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Kinara | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Kujichagulia | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Kuubma | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Kwanzaa | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Mazao | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Mishumaa Saba | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Mkeka | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Muhindi | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Nguza Saba | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Nia | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Ujamaa | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Ujima | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Umoja | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Zawadi | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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