Day 7 of Kwanza - Imani - Faith!

Darith lighting the Kinara - Photo by Kat Heller

Habari Gani!



Imani (i-mah'-nee) - Faith.






Last night we had a Karamu - Our celebration. Here are some more pics from that. Thanks to our neighbor Kat Heller for taking some photos!






The last day of Kwanzaa is Imani. It means we have faith in ourselves, faith in each other, and faith in our communities. 

If you are religious, this would include your religious faith.


In 2017, we had challenges as a nation and community. Most people had personal challenges as well.

What did you face down in 2017?
What did you get through?
Who helped you?

What did you do to support your community in 2017?


Since it is New Year's Day, I chose two songs. One is for the hope that 2018 will bring us closer to a more equitable world where everyone has enough, and we do not exploit others. We might not get there, but we can work to make steps in that direction.

Stevie Wonder's Pastime Paradise.




The second song is upbeat and joyful. It is about having hopeful energy as we move into 2018. It is from the movie SING! It also features Stevie Wonder.





Reflection:

A man harbored great jealousy for his neighbor. He particularly wanted the man's horse. It was beautiful, and graceful, and the second he saw it, he had to have it.

One day, as he watched his neighbor riding the horse, he got an idea. He dressed himself as a man who looked to have been waylaid and beaten.

When his neighbor saw the abused traveler by the road, he stopped, got off of his horse at once, and went to aid him 

No sooner had he got off of his horse, than the man leapt up, pushed his neighbor aside, mounted the horse and rode away laughing. 

The neighbor was stunned to see the man laughing and taunting him. He beckoned for him to come back.

The man stood well out of reach with a satisfied grin on his face.

His neighbor gave him a tight smile. "Keep the horse, but tell no one how you tricked me to get it."

"Why not?" the man taunted. "Afraid of people calling you a fool?"

"No," said the neighbor. "if you tell people what you did, it will make others wary of helping those in need. No horse is worth breaking the faith of others." He turned and walked towards his home.

The man watched his neighbor go down the road, and he burned inside. He was now angry with himself. He rode to his neighbor, threw himself off of the horse, and handed him the reins.

Many years later, the two of them were sitting at a cafe. 

The man had never forgiven his neighbor for making him feel so guilty. "Do you remember all those years ago when I tricked you out of your horse?"

"I recall something of it," said his neighbor with a small smile.

"Did you mean it? Were you really afraid of destroying people's faith?"

The neighbor's eyebrows rose and he started laughing. "That day had nothing to do with anyone but you."

"I knew it!" the man shouted! "It had nothing to do with faith! You tricked me back!"

"Oh no," said his neighbor, "it was all about faith. Despite how you hide it sometimes, I have always known you were a good man."


Keep the Nguzo Saba with you all year, and we'll break it down once more at the end of 2018!


Happy Kwanzaa!
Happy New Year!


What is Kwanzaa?
Day 1 Umoja - Unity
Day 2 Kujichagulia - Self Determination
Day 3 Ujima - Cooperative Work and Responsibility
Day 4 Ujamaa - Cooperative Economics
Day 5 Nia - Purpose
Day 6 Kuumba - Creativity

Day 7: Imani - Faith

Kwanzaa Day 6 - Kuumba - Creativity

My daughter drew this by hand for my parents for Christmas

Habari Gani?




Kuumba! It means creativity!












We must strive to leave the world a more beautiful place than we found it by using our creative gifts.


This is my favorite day of Kwanzaa!

It is also the night of Karamu - The feast of Kwanzaa.

This year we had Hoppin John, ham, candied sweet potatoes, pot roast, mashed potatoes, cornbread, spinach, and I made a chocolate cake just because.

We talked about how we used our various skills over the last year, and talked about what we did make beauty in the world.






Reflection:

There was a man with three sons. He said, "I shall leave this house to whichever of you can fill it."

The first son, the brightest, knew what he would do. He bought feathers. He bought carts and carts of feathers. He filled that house with feathers until there was not a corner that did not have feathers, but after a while, the feathers settled, and the house was not full.

The second son scoffed, but the eldest said, "It is not so easy. You will see."

The second son thought he had a better idea. He got straw. He filled that house with straw. He filled it until there was not a corner that did not have straw, but after a while, the straw settled, and the house was not full.

The youngest son couldn't help but laugh. He was a merry soul who was never taken all that seriously. The older brothers shook their head. "You will see that it is not so easy."

The youngest son went to town and got some of his friends. That evening, they took out their fiddles, banjos, and drums, and played and sang. No matter where you went in that house you could hear the merry sound.

At the end of the evening, their father announced that the youngest had surely won, for he'd filled the house from cellar to attic with music and laughter.

Happy Kwanzaa!

What is Kwanzaa?
Day 1 Umoja - Unity
Day 2 Kujichagulia - Self Determination
Day 3 Ujima - Cooperative Work and Responsibility
Day 4 Ujamaa - Cooperative Economics
Day 5 Nia - Purpose
Day 6 Kuumba - Creativity
Day 7: Imani - Faith

Kwanzaa Time!

A guide to new celebrants!

Yes, it is once again Kwanzaa time!  Time to eat benne cakes, roll out the Mkeka, set up the Kinara, light the Mishuma Saba, pass around the Kikombe Cha Umoja,and reflect on the Nguzo Saba!
Hooray!

Before we begin...

Kwanzaa is not a Christmas substitute for African Americans...Kwanzaa doesn't have anything to do with Christmas at all.

Kwanzaa is not a religious holiday.  Kwanzaa is not about religion!

If that is what Kwanzaa is not, then what is it?  Well, it is easy enough to explain.  Kwanzaa is the African American Festival that occurs at the end of the year.  It was originally created by Dr. Mulana Karenga in the late 1960's.

A picture book about the spirit of Kwanzaa!

Why have an African American inspired celebration?

African Americans have been an integral part of the history of America since the beginning.  Despite that, there are no national celebrations that recognize the contributions of African Americans to our country.  There have been and still are African American inventors, soldiers, entrepreneurs, cowboys, farmers, firemen, and America even has a black president.   In the '60's and all through my childhood, as a matter of fact, there was no acknowledgement that African Americans had much impact on the country at all before Martin Luther King was born!  Kwanzaa has two main components that encourage celebrants to consider their place in the world as well as reflect on the contributions of African Americans.  The first is the Nguzo Saba, and the second are reflective readings.


Kwanzaa is a truly American celebration.  it is based on First Fruits celebrations in different parts of Africa, but it is not like any of them.

So, That's as much history as I'm giving!  Now, on to the steps!

First you need a mat of some sort of natural fibers.

MKeka (M-ke'-kah) - this mat is the foundation of your Kwanzaa display and it is the foundation that we use to build our lives.  It represents the African American culture and traditions.

Mishuma Saba (Mish-oo'-ma So'-bah) - The candles.  Three green, three red, and one black.  These are the colors of the African American Flag.  The red is for the blood we all share no matter where our ancestors were born, the green is for the hope of new life and a better world, and the black is for the color of the African American ancestral heritage.

Kinara (kin-are'-ah) - The candle holder.  The proper way to set up the Kinara is to put three red candles on the left, three green candles on the right and the black candle in the middle.  You light the black one first.  On the second day you light the red one.  On the third day you light a green one.  You continue to alternate between red and green for the remainder of the festival.

Muhindi (moo-hin'-dee) - These are ears of corn, there should be one for each child in the home.  The corn should be dried.

Mazao (mu-zow') - These are fruits and vegetables added to the Mkeka that represent crops, the bounty of the earth, good things and plenty.

Kikombe Cha Umoja (ki'-cOm'-bA chah' oo'-mO-jah) - The unity cup.  We drink communally from this cup as well as pour a libation for the ancestors.  Honoring the ancestors, those who came before us is an important aspect of Kwanzaa.

Now that the Mkeka is set up it is time to get on with the celebration!

You can give Zawadi, (zu-wo'-dee), which are small presents, typically handmade, but they can also be things like books, but gifts are not the main thrust of Kwanza.

We begin our Kwanzaa day with the words, Habri Gani! (Hu-bar'-ee go'-nee).  It means what's the news?  The answer is the principle or Nguzo Saba of the day.  So what are the seven principles of Kwanzaa?  Here they are.

Umoja (oo-mO-jah) - Unity.  We must stand together if we are to overcome our difficulties

Kujichagulia (coo'-gee-chah-goo-lee-ah) - Self-Determination.  We must not let anyone else decide who we are.  We must speak for ourselves and not let others speak for us.  Just because someone says you are lazy or useless or worthless does not mean it is true!

Ujima (oo-gee'-mah) - Cooperative Work and Responsibility.  We must work together to build the world of which we wish to be a part.  We must look after each other and understand that we are responsible to ourselves, our families and our communities.

Ujamaa (oo-jah'-mah) - Cooperative Economics.  We shop at stores owned and run by African Americans to make sure that we are supporting small business.  (My family has opened this out to all small businesses in our area.  Mom and pop are under attack from Big Box.  Support small businesses when you can.)

Nia (nee'-uh) - Purpose.  We must move through our lives with purpose and we must understand that our lives have purpose.  Approach your life with goals and actions that help you achieve good things.

Kuumba (k-oom-bah) - Creativity.  Leave the world a more beautiful place than when you found it.

Karamu (kAr'-um-moo) - The feast of Kwanzaa where you eat traditional African American foods, sing, dance, tell stories and celebrate!

Imani (i-mah'-nee) - Faith.  You must have faith in yourself and in the hope that we can build a better world.  (You can apply this to religious faith if you like, but my family does not)

The last part of the celebration deals with reflection.  You can do readings of African American artists, poets, teachers, and philosophers.  You can discuss how you plan to make the Nguzo Saba a reality in your life.  You can talk about what you have done in the past year to live up to the principles of Kwanzaa.  That bit is up to you.  Here are some readings to get you started.

Maya Angelou

Lanston Hughes

Frederick Douglas

Martin Luther King

Oprah 

Barack Obama

Phyllis Wheatley

So, get out there and see if you can find a Kwanzaa event!  Reflect on what you can do to make the world a better place.

Happy Kwanzaa!