How to Celebrate Kwanzaa

From LoveToKnow Party

If you are wondering how to celebrate Kwanzaa, this article will explain the steps involved in celebrating this holiday.

A Kwanzaa table is the symbolic centerpiece of the celebration.

Kwanzaa: The Basics

Kwanzaa is a festival that is celebrated every year between December 26 and January 1. The word Kwanzaa comes from the expression mantunda yo kwanza, which is Swahili for "first fruits." Each day of Kwanzaa, a candle is lit. Parents give gifts to children on the last day. Kwanzaa is not a religious holiday, and it can be celebrated along with or instead of Christmas. Each day of the holiday celebrates a different value.

Values Associated with Kwanzaa

The seven values or guiding principles associated with Kwanzaa are:

  • Unity
  • Self-determination
  • Collective work and responsibility
  • Cooperative economics
  • Purpose
  • Creativity
  • Faith

How to Celebrate Kwanzaa: Follow These Steps

Here are the steps involved in celebrating Kwanzaa.

Decorate Your Home

The main room of the house should be decorated with items that symbolize Kwanzaa. Put a green tablecloth on your table with a straw mat on top of it. This is the Mkeka, and it symbolizes the celebrants' African ancestors.

Place crops on the table and display fruit in a bowl as a symbol of how productive the community has been throughout the year. Set out an ear of corn to represent each child in the family. In a childless family, two ears are set out to indicate the children in the community. A cup represents the family and the larger community that it is a part of. Gifts for the children are also displayed. In addition, families can hang Kwanzaa posters and flags around the room.

Light Candles

Another essential display element is a candle holder holding seven candles. The candles represent the seven governing principles of Kwanzaa. The three candles on the left indicate struggle, and these are balanced by three green candles on the right to indicate hope. A single black candle indicates the people.

Each candle represents one day and they are lit one at a time, in order. The black candle, representing the people, is lit first. The other candles can be lit from left to right or they can be lit alternately (one red, one green). Each day a new candle is lit, so that by the final day of Kwanzaa, all the candles shine brightly.

Plan a Feast

New Year's Eve (December 31) is feast day when you are celebrating Kwanzaa. The feast may be held in a person's home, a community center, or a church. Decorate the feast location with red, green, and black colors. Set out the table as indicated above and place a large candleholder at the center of the table.

Set out food so that guests are able to serve themselves. Fruits and vegetables are part of the feast. Before serving food and when people are eating, the host presents a program that typically includes the following elements:

  • A welcome
  • Remembering
  • Reassessment
  • Recommitment
  • Rejoicing

The program concludes with a farewell statement and a call for greater unity in the community.

Give Out Gifts

Distribute gifts on January 1, the final day of Kwanzaa. Parents usually give gifts to their children. Gifts selected as Kwanzaa gifts are often educational or artistic, as their purpose is to remind the children of their creativity.

Now you know how to celebrate Kwanzaa. It is a time for people to come together, keeping in mind that they belong to a larger community that exists to support all of its members.

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