 | ||
|
| |    Kwanzaa Traditions: Honoring Black Unity, Family Bonds and an African Heritage by Susan E. Davis reviewed by Laura Jana, M.D., F.A.A.P. The new kid on the winter holiday block, Kwanzaa was established in 1966 to celebrate and reaffirm African American identity and culture. Currently, an estimated two million people take part in this seven-day harvest celebration each year, and for many black Americans, it has joined Christmas as a major focus of the season. Although the holiday is still relatively young, its seven guiding principles (unity, self-determination, collective work and responsibility, cooperative economics, purpose, creativity, and faith) lend themselves to the creation of a host of meaningful traditions. Here are some suggestions to help deepen your child's understanding of Kwanzaa: • Plan an activity for each of the seven days of Kwanzaa related to the different themes. Put together a family photo album on the day that celebrates Umoja (Unity), for instance, or do a family project (like tree planting) on the day that celebrates Ujima (collective work). • If that's too ambitious, at least try to discuss the meaning of each day's theme during the candle-lighting ceremony. Give children a chance to share what they think about faith, self-determination, and so on. Keep a journal of what your children say each year, so they can reflect on it when they're older. • Visit a local museum that exhibits African or African-American history or art. • Rent movies from the video store about African history and culture or the black experience in America. Some good ones suitable for children: A Raisin in the Sun with Sidney Poitier, Sounder with Cicely Tyson, and A Soldier's Story with Howard E. Rollins. • Find readings that underline the holiday's themes. Older children might enjoy Martin Luther King Jr.'s Christmas sermon on peace or W.E.B. DuBois' Prayers for Dark People. The poetry of Lanston Hughes and Maya Angelou and the novels of Ralph Ellison, Toni Morrison, and Jamaica Kincaid are other classics. Younger children might enjoy the beautifully illustrated My First Kwanzaa Book, by Deborah M. Newton Chocolate and Cal Massey, The Gifts of Kwanzaa, by Synthia Saint James, and K Is for Kwanzaa: A Kwanzaa Alphabet Book, by Juwanda G. Ford and Ken Wilson-Max (all for ages four through eight). • Let your older children have their own kinara (candleholder) and their own candles-to be used under proper supervision, of course. • Make candles with your children to decorate the house and celebrate the theme of light so vital to this holiday. Younger children can roll simple candles from sheets of beeswax around wicks (available at craft stores), while older ones might like to make more elaborate creations from kits. Using the Kwanzaa colors (that's green, black, and red to symbolize freedom, unity, and spilled blood, respectively) will further emphasize the holiday's meaning. • Let your children contribute to the planning of the Karamu, or Kwanzaa feast. Children might enjoy making invitations, setting the traditional table, or cooking foods like sweet potato pie and corn fritters. • You may not want young children to drink alcohol from the unity cup (kikombe cha umoja) during toasts to the ancestors. Consider having a second cup filled with fruit juice that the children can use instead. • Make a tree of gratefulness to emphasize the harvest roots of Kwanzaa. (Dr. Maulana Ron Karenga drew upon the first-fruit harvest rituals of Africans when he fashioned this holiday in 1966). Cut out a tree from poster board--or use a tree in your own yard. Make paper leaves to hang on it, then let each family member write down what he or she is grateful for on the leaves. Keep the leaves after Kwanzaa is done as a record of your family's growth and development. Similarly, you can make a wishing tree, with leaves bearing your family members' goals for improving themselves, their community, or the lives of all African Americans.
| |  | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| About Us |
Contact Us |
Our Partners Privacy Policy | Ethics | Advertising Policy | Terms of Service © Copyright 2004 The Dr. Spock Company. All Rights Reserved. THIS SITE DOES NOT PROVIDE MEDICAL ADVICE. The information drSpock.com
provides is for educational purposes only and is not a substitute for
professional medical advice. Always seek the advice of your health care
professional if you have a specific health concern. Mention or advertisement
of any product, service, or brand does not constitute endorsement, guarantee,
or recommendation by The Dr. Spock Company. Please read our full
Terms of Service. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
