Added: 04/13/2007 |
The Celebrations of KwanzaaA lot of people are very familiar with the major holidays of December; Christmas and Hanukah. However there is a very extraordinary holiday named Kwanzaa and it is filled with rich traditions and wonderful activities. The world is a big place and it is nice to be knowledgably about the many different and interesting holidays beside the one that are clear-cut. Kwanzaa brings a time of peace, commemoration and fun.
During the time of Kwanzaa there are many traditions that take place. One is the lighting of seven candles. The candles are first placed into a wooden candle holder. The name for this special holder is called a kinara. For each day in the Kwanzaa holiday, one candle is lit. Each lit candle is to celebrate a distinctive and special principle of the holiday. The candles are just the beginning of the day to start off activities that focus on main principles thought to instill
goodness and caring.
The principles that are celebrated are: unity, self-determination, responsibility, cooperative economics, purpose, creativity and the last is faith. On each of the seven days of this special holiday, individuals and families will join together to participate in an activity that will symbolize the principle of that day.
One of the most enjoyable days of the Kwanzaa holiday is the sixth day, as it based around the focus of creativity. This is a wonderfully celebrated aspect that can lend many activities that will bond together families and friends. The activity that is most popular is the making of gifts. The Swahili name of these gifts is zawadi. The gifts are very unique; as they are handmade gifts and the purpose is for these gifts to symbolize African ancestry and history. People who celebrate Kwanzaa will make an assortment of these homemade gifts including dolls prepared from fabric, with hand-sewn button eyes. Some choose to create story books in which the wonderful folktales of Africa are written about. Another popular gift is a necklace; these types of necklaces are created with many beads.
The colors of Kwanzaa are green, red and black and are used for any decorations and are often the color focus of the gifts. A special day in the celebration of Kwanzaa is the day that a fantastic feast is held. This day of celebrating with a magnificent feast is held on December 31. When celebrating the Kwanzaa holiday, participants should remain focused on the seven main principles; as they are said to help unite families and contribute to the strength of families and keep the African heritage alive.
This holiday is getting more and more popular every year. Many African American find it very pleasurable to have this official holiday in which they can commemorate their ancestry and heritage. A holiday such as this can help make families and friends bond together in unity as they take gratification in the many activities of this seven day long African celebration.
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