Muncie Times, Muncie, Delaware County, 18 December 2003 — Page 9

The Muncie Times • December 18, 2003 • Page 9

Kwanzaa is celebrated around the world

By Pat Hughes According to an old African proverb, “The ruin of a nation begins in the homes of its family.” If that is true, said minister Judy Mays, then the opposite must also be true. Unity, commitment and the celebration of family can only serve to strengthen a nation, Mays said. The bringing together of the family, stressing the successes of the past and present and sharing as a community are just some of the reasons why Mays and many many other AfricanAmericans worldwide find great joy in the celebrating of Kwanzaa. The first principal of Kwanzaa teaches that success starts with unity - unity of the family, community, nation and race. And faith, the seventh principal of Kwanzaa, teaches us to believe in our people, our family, our educators, our leaders, and the righteousness of the African-American struggle. Kwanzaa is a nonreligious African holiday celebrated annually Dec. 26th through Jan. 1. The 7day festival is held in celebration of the AfricanAmerican people, their cultural and history. It is a time of celebration, community gathering and reflection. “It’s definitely a celebration of culture and heritage in that it reiterates the values that are seen as significant to the AfricanAmerican community,” Mays said. “The family unit is very important.” Kwanzaa came into existence during a period in which African-Americans were involved in a struggle for civil rights. This was the time of Dr. Martin Luther

King, the Civil Rights movement and Black Power. Created in 1966 by Dr. Maulana Karenga , Kwanzaa is now one of the fastest growing holidays with more than 18 million people now celebrating it worldwide. Kwanzaa was created with the purpose of bringing African-Americans together in celebration of their black cultural. Kwanzaa was inspired by ‘first fruit,’ or harvest festivals that were celebrated throughout Africa. In fact, Kwanzaa comes from the Kiswahali phrase for ‘first fruit’ - Matunda ya kwanzaa. Kiswahali, or Swahili is the largest spoken language on the African continent. Dr. Karenga added the extra a to Kwanzaa to give the word greater significance. Dr. Karenga used the first fruits as his model for Kwanzaa because of the shared characteristics which he thought important. The five characteristics are that people gather together to celebrate their crops and harvest; That people would give thanks to their creator for a good harvest and life; That people would remember and celebrate their ancestors and past; That they allowed the people to recommit themselves to their community, and that people celebrate their history, cultural, creator and promise of the next year. Those five characteristics are what Karenga used to develop the seven principals of Kwanzaa - unity, self determination, collective work and responsibility, cooperative economics, purpose, creativity and faith. The celebration of Kwanzaa begins on the day

after Christmas so to bypass the commercial buying period but to maintain the advantage of the seasonal holiday spirit. On each evening of Kwanzaa, a family member, usually the youngest child, lights candles in a special candle holder, called Kinara, and discusses one of the principals of Kwanzaa. The candles are always lit before dinner. After dinner, it is blown out until the next day. The Kinara holds seven candles, also called the Mishumaa Saba, which represent the seven principals of Kwanzaa. A black candle is placed in the center of the candleholder. Three red candles are placed to the left of the black candle. Three green candles are placed to the right of the black candle. Red, black and green are the colors of the Bendera (the African flag.) To celebrate Kwanzaa at home, the Kinara is placed on a Mkeka (mat) which is situated on a table or Kwanzaa altar. A green or black tablecloth should cover the altar. Also placed on the altar should be a bowl of fruit or vegetables

(Mazao), as well as one ear of corn (Muhindi) for each child in the family. If there are no children, one ear of com should be placed on the table to represent children in the community. Behind the altar, the Bendera is hung. The area can be decorated with brightly colored posters and banners as well as African sculpture. “It is a wonderful holiday to be shared in the home,” Mays said. She said friends, family and neighbors often gather together to share in the festivities. “It’s very definitely an AfricanAmerican holiday that can be celebrated and shared by all.” Mays said there had been a city-wide coordination of celebrating Kwanzaa for the past 7 years. The Vivian Conley Branch Library has been the site of the celebration for the last 4 years. This year, the event will be held from 10 a.m. to noon at the library, located at 1824 E. Centennial Ave. The city-wide celebration will include

festivities similar to how Kwanzaa is celebrated in the homes of individuals on the last day of the holiday. The New Years Eve celebration always includes a huge feast. Included in the event is African music and attire, story telling and the reading of poems. History and the successes of the family are also openly discussed. Cards are often sent during Kawanzaa. The cards should decorated with creative, non-religious designs with strong positive African images. Mays added that gifts are also a part of Kwanzaa, but she said the gifts traditionally are handmade. Books are also among the gifts given during Kwanzaa. But she noted that they were always of an educational value. Referring to another old African proverb, Mays noted, “To know nothing is bad, to learn nothing is worse.” During Kwanzaa, there is always a time for reflecting, remembering, reaffirming, reinforcing, reorganizing, rewarding and rejoicing.