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Kwanzaa and the Holidays

I took the below description of Kwanzaa from this site: http://www.tike.com/celeb-kw.htm I hope they don't mind, but I could not find a way to contact them. I was thinking about diversity and the different holidays that are represented during this season. I was interested in seeing what Kawanza was. It is really a impressive holiday with each day having a different value, which has real beauty for oneself and the world one lives in.

Personally, I have never been fixed on one holiday. Though I was raised with Hanukkah--which is the Jewish festival of lights and lasts eight days--while my Mom was sick and in the hospital, an Italian woman and her son came to live with us. During that time, we celebrated X-mas and had a Christmas tree. So X-mas became part of my life really early. In high school, though I lived in a prevalently Jewish neighborhood, we were off from school on Christmas. Christmas became a time of giving and sharing, and I often went to Christmas parties and exchanged present with friends. Kwanzaa is also a time of feasts and gift giving, but the days that pass during the week of celebrating each have a guiding principle.

It is interesting to note that both Kwanzaa (Boy, I keep wanting to put an 'a' after that 'k'.) and Hanukkah use a Menorah though the Jewish holiday is a day longer and has a central candle holder to light the others from. Take a look at these principles of Kwanzaa. I think it will bring something to your holiday season.

Kwanzaa is based on the Nguzo Saba (seven guiding principles), one for each day of the observance, and is celebrated from December 26th to January 1st.

  • Umoja (oo-MO-jah) Unity stresses the importance of togetherness for the family and the community, which is reflected in the African saying, "I am We," or "I am because We are."
  • Kujichagulia (koo-gee-cha-goo-LEE-yah) Self-Determination requires that we define our common interests and make decisions that are in the best interest of our family and community.
  • Ujima (oo-GEE-mah) Collective Work and Responsibility reminds us of our obligation to the past, present and future, and that we have a role to play in the community, society, and world.
  • Ujamaa (oo-JAH-mah) Cooperative economics emphasizes our collective economic strength and encourages us to meet common needs through mutual support.
  • Nia (NEE-yah) Purpose encourages us to look within ourselves and to set personal goals that are beneficial to the community.
  • Kuumba (koo-OOM-bah) Creativity makes use of our creative energies to build and maintain a strong and vibrant community.
  • Imani (ee-MAH-nee) Faith focuses on honoring the best of our traditions, draws upon the best in ourselves, and helps us strive for a higher level of life for humankind, by affirming our self-worth and confidence in our ability to succeed and triumph in righteous struggle.
BTW: On the Fraklin Covey website, there are tips for the holidays to keep it peaceful. They mention setting priorities and not to cram everything under the sun in. They also talk about finding ways so different people's needs are met from those who like the partying it up to those that want quiet family time. Creatively honoring people's diverse needs can be a challenge and sometimes really hard to do.

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