Beyond Tradition: Rethinking Holidays and an Introduction to Kwanzaa

The Innocence of Childhood Holidays...

Holidays. Special times. Especially as children. We didn’t know better, but the adults in our lives did—or so we think. I believe it is a parent’s job to shelter their children, as well as to know when it is time to take off the veil and share the truth.

The Holiday Season Returns...

The holidays are here again: Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year’s Day. This trio gets the banner of “holiday season”—a beautiful time to eat, be with family, and simply BE merry. I love the holidays for what they once represented: days off from school, holiday pay, time off from work, and definitely the sales in the stores. What’s not to love?

But then one day, you step outside of yourself and the monotony of holidays, and simply ask: what am I celebrating and why? Does this elevate my life and the lives of those around me? What exactly am I participating in? THEN you realize that each month has a holiday that I am spending money, and for what? This realization alone prompts us to assess —what SHOULD my family be a part of?

Questioning Traditions...

Thanksgiving marks genocide, in simple terms. Christmas? Well, Christ wasn’t even born then. And yet, I should spend money on gifts with a tree forrrrr??? ... and put lights on the house? Hmmm. (Though I am the first to go and ride around to see them. hot chocolate and little kids from my family, let’s go!) The Fourth of July, while beautiful for America, is a painful reminder for many Black individuals, as we know that a lot of us were still enslaved when the world was celebrating freedom.

Really ask yourself this. The answers will vary, surely. For some, it was their mother’s favorite holiday; for others, it’s about mimicking what they had as children. These are beautiful endearments. Whatever the case, take a moment to assess the who (you and your family), what (consider each holiday), why (are you following the crowd?), and when/how (how you and your family will celebrate). After all, there are 12 months in a year, and only ONE month doesn’t have a major holiday.

Redefining Celebrations...

Sometimes, because these traditions have been in our families for years, we hesitate to change them. I understand. You can still be part of a celebration without fully embracing the reasons everyone else celebrates. I’m very particular when it comes to holidays; I haven’t celebrated them in at least the last 10-12 years. Yet, in the last five years, I’ve come to see that it is still a beautiful time to be with my loved ones. (I was pretty radical at one point-sheesh, with growth comes wisdom and vice versa). I don’t attach the same meanings to the holidays that my family does. I have redefined them for myself.

Bigger than that, I don’t feel the need to spend money for them. Mother’s Day is a beautiful time of the year, and I’ll probably always make it special because it’s important to my mom. But shouldn’t I celebrate my mother more than just in May?

Yet, I get it, it IS a special day! The same goes for Christmas. I don’t celebrate it, but other people do, and they give me gifts because it’s important to them—it’s their way of showing love . It’s beautiful, but more importantly, everyone has an understanding of what they are doing and why.

Celebrating Kwanzaa...

Before I close, let’s touch on one holiday that I do/will celebrate and is often overlooked by my people: Kwanzaa. Created by Maulana Karenga in 1966, I often hear people say, “This is a made-up day,” but remember, so is every other holiday, fam (family-if you’re not familiar with slang). Kwanzaa is a week-long celebration from December 26th to January 1st, starting at dusk each night. It honors African heritage in African-American culture and emphasizes community, family, and cultural pride.

Kwanzaa is often celebrated with activities like storytelling, music, and dance, along with the lighting of the Kinara (a candle holder; we’ll get more into that in just a second). Each of the seven days of Kwanzaa focuses on one of the seven principles, which are named in Swahili:

• Umoja (Unity)** - To strive for and maintain unity in the family, community, nation, and race.

• Kujichagulia (Self-Determination)** - To define and name ourselves, as well as to create and speak for ourselves.

• Ujima (Collective Work and Responsibility)** - To build and maintain our community together, making our brothers' and sisters' problems our problems and solving them together.

• Ujamaa (Cooperative Economics)** - To build and maintain our own stores, shops, and other businesses and to profit from them together.

• Nia (Purpose)** - To make our collective vocation the building and developing of our community in order to restore our people to their traditional greatness.

• Kuumba (Creativity)** - To do as much as we can, in the way we can, to leave our community more beautiful and beneficial than we inherited it.

• Imani (Faith)** - To believe with all our heart in our people, our parents, our teachers, our leaders, and the righteousness and victory of our struggle.

  
  

  

  
  

The Significance of Kwanzaa’s Colors...

Kwanzaa uses three colors that are significant to the celebration: red, black, and green. Each color represents important aspects of African heritage and culture:

• Red: Symbolizes the blood of our ancestors/their struggle.

• Black: Represents the community/the people.

• Green: Stands for the land or hope and the future.

Each day of Kwanzaa, a candle is lit to represent one of the seven principles. The black candle is lit first, followed by a red or green candle, each subsequent day. The lighting of the candles signifies the importance of the principles and the celebration of African heritage.

The candles are held on a Kinara (Swahili for candle holder, similar to the menorah). The black candle should be in the center, with the red candles to the left and the green candles to the right. We burn one candle each night, starting from the black in the center (Umoja), then the red (Kujichagulia), and moving over to green (day 5-Nia).

Preparing for Kwanzaa...

If you want to celebrate Kwanzaa at home, here’s a list of the items you will need:

1. Kinara: A candle holder with seven candles—three red, one black, and three green.

2. Candles/lighters: Lit candles representing the principles of Kwanzaa.

3. Symbols: Items like the African flag, a basket of fruits (symbolizing abundance), and decor featuring traditional African designs. Ears of dry corn represent each child in the family.

4. Family Gathering: People celebrating together, often dressed in traditional African attire, engaging in activities such as storytelling or sharing a meal, discussing each principle on each night.

5. Unity Cup (Kikombe cha Umoja): A communal cup used for toasting and sharing drinks or libations.

For those who love gifts, on the last night of Kwanzaa, you can share/exchange them. Lol. But there’s a catch, it’s usually homemade or some buy books, art, art accessories, music or other culturally themed things, and preferably from a Black-owned business.

Join the Celebration...

So let’s join in on a holiday that promotes unity, community, and collective building. It’s a time to reflect on YOURSELF AND your community, considering/examining what you have accomplished over the past year and how you will move forward with your family and community into the next.

Look into your local African American community leaders/Black fellowships to find out about Kwanzaa celebrations in your area. Or prepare to host your own Kwanzaa at home with your family/friends. There will be a video on YouTube with a little more detailed information.

Peace. Light. Under(over)standing. Unity.

Starr❤️

🔍P.S If you didn't google it, the month of August does not have a major holiday😏😏