KWANZAA

FOR

EVERYBODY

A CARD DECK DESIGNED TO GUIDE YOUR CELEBRATION AND PRACTICE OF KWANZAA

developed by Renée Omoaldé

so, about Kwanzaa

Kwanzaa, celebrated December 26 - Jan 1, is the baby of national holidays celebrated in America! Created in 1966 by Dr. Maulana Ndabezitha Karenga, Kwanzaa is a non-religous and cultural celebration designed to honor, remember, and promote African values and heritage in the diaspora. Meaning first fruits of the harvest in Kiswahili, Kwanzaa was created by joining various African traditions together to form a celebration of life and the fruits of our harvest, a full year of working hard!

Kwanzaa can be celebrated by everybody and we invite you to join us in celebrating the national holiday. So, get ready for

7-days of community, fun, reverance, and celebration!

the principles

nguzo saba

The nguzo saba are the seven principles of Kwanzaa that guide our practice. Each nguzo saba is given a day on which it is commemorated and reflected upon. Even beyond the 7 days of Kwanzaa, they can be used as guiding principles for your life.

Umoja

unity

Kujichagulia

self-determination

Ujima

collecitve

work and responsibility

Ujamaa

cooperative economics

Nia

purpose

Kuumba

creativity

Imani

faith

symbols

Dr. Maluna Karenga developed seven basic symbols of Kwanzaa. These symbols give life to the African history from which he created Kwanzaa and allow for a collective community. For an authentic celebration of Kwanzaa you should have these items as a part of your Kwanzaa display.

Mazao the crops

Mkeka

the mat

Kinara

candle holder

Muhindi

corn

Kikombe cha Umjoa

the unity cup

Mishumaa Saba

the seven candles

Zawadi

the gifts

Bendera

flag

key kwanzaa terms

matunda ya kwanza - first fruits of the harvest

heri za Kwanzaa! - Happy Kwanzaa

habari gani? - what's the word?

harambee! - let's come together!

kiSwahili - the language of Kwanzaa

bendera - flag

• black - the people
  
• red - the blood of the ancestors and a struggle
  
• green -promise of hope in the future and the richness of the Motherland
  

Tamashi la Tambiko - Libation Statement

let's celebrate!

Like most holidays, Kwanzaa is best enjoyed by just celebrating! While the rich history and intricate detail of the holiday may seem overwhelming. We welcome you to open yourself and your family to a rich celebration of love over the next seven days! Beginning December 26 and ending January 1st, we will celebrate the rich history of African descendants in America and the love, culture, and community they created in a new world.

So, if you're ready to celebrate, let's discuss how to best prepare.

Heri Za Kwanzaa!

preparing for Kwanzaa

“There is a traditionally established way of celebrating Kwanzaa. We should therefore observe these guidelines to make our Kwanzaa the most beautiful and engaging one and to keep the tradition. Without definite guidelines and core values and practices there is no holiday. First, you should come to the celebration with a profound respect for its values, symbols and practices and do nothing to violate its integrity, beauty and expansive meaning. Secondly, you should not mix the Kwanzaa holiday or its symbols, values and practice with any other culture. This would violate the principles of Kujichagulia (Self-Determination) and thus violate the integrity of the holiday. Thirdly, choose the best and most beautiful items to celebrate Kwanzaa. This means taking time to plan and select the most beautiful objects of art, colorful African cloth, fresh fruits and vegetables, etc. so that every object used represents African culture and your commitment to the holiday in the best of ways.” (The Official Kwanzaa Website, officialkwanzaawebsite.org)

preparing for Kwanzaa

1. Make sure you have all of items of The Seven Symbols of Kwanzaa (your local black-owned bookstore is a great place to start)
   
2. Identify a table where you can have your Kwanzaa items displayed
3. Get those who you're celebrating with together and set up your Kwanzaa table (see reverse for some examples)
4. For the next seven mornings, come back to your deck and get ready to celebrate Kwanzaa!
5. On the final day of Kwanzaa, be ready for a family feast, Karamu! (see the Karamu card for special family recipes)
   

Kwanzaa Table

your daily practice

For each day of the seven days of Kwanzaa, there is a card to guide your practice: Here is a general outline of what your day can look like:

1. Wake Up: Greet your family by asking, “habari gani?” meaning, what’s the word? Respond by saying the nguzo (principle) of the day and discuss today's priniciple and definition of the day
   
2. Throughout the day: daily practices and activities to celebrate and keep Kwanzaa on your mind
3. Evening ritual: (candle lighting, circle, libation statement, harambee)
   

evening ritual

1. Candle Lighting - Light the Mishumaa, you can have the eldest, youngest, or rotate who lights the candle. Each day, you light the Nights candle plus those from the day before
2. Principle reading - read the meaning of todays nguzo with the family
3. Circle time - share art, poetry, or thoughts about the days nguzo
4. Tamshi la Tambiko (libation statement)
1. read libation statement
   
2. pour water from unity cup onto a plant in four directions (north, south, east, west) in remembrance of loved ones who have transitioned on
3. drink from the Kikomba Cha Umoja (unity cup) from eldest to youngest, in honor of the Alkebulan, Africa, the Mother Land, the cradle of civilization
5. Close by cheering harambee seven times!
   

tamshi la tambiko

Our fathers and mothers came here, lived, loved, struggled and built here. At this place, their love and labor rose like the sun and gave strength and meaning to the day. For them, then, who gave so much we give in return. On this same soil we will sow our seeds, and liberation and a higher level of human life. May our eyes be the eagle, our strength be the elephant, and the boldness of our life be like the lion. And may we remember and honor our ancestors and the legacy they left for as long as the sun shines and the waters flow.

For our people everywhere then:

For Shaka, Samory, and Nzingha and all the others known and unknown who defended our ancestral land, history and humanity from alien invaders;

For Garvey, Muhammad, Malcolm, and King; Harriet, Fannie Lou, Sojourner, Bethune, and Nat Turner and all the others who dared to define, defend, and develop our interests as a people;

For our children and the fuller and freer lives they will live because we struggles;

For Kawaida and the Nguzo Saba, the new system of views and values which gives identity, purpose, and direction to our lives;

For the new world we struggle to build;

And for the continuing struggle through which we will inevitably rescue and reconstruct our history and humanity in our own image and according to our own needs.

– Maulana Karenga

To strive for and maintain unity in the family, community, nation, and race.

dec 26

umoja

symbol: dagi knot

daily reflections for everybody:

When was the last time you felt unity?

Who is someone in your life you believe exemplifies unity? What would you say to them today?

Why do you think unity is important?

evening ritual:

• Go to the evening ritual card for your ceremony process
  
• Libation statement:
  

day 1 umoja

unity

family activities:

• play a puzzle together
  
• sing karaoke
• build a snowman

songs to enjoy unity

• UNITY by Queen Latifah
  
• Til I’m Laid to Rest by Buju Banton
  

to define ourselves, name ourselves, create for ourselves and speak for ourselves.

dec 27

kujichagulia

symbol: ahenwa

kujichagulia

self-determination

daily reflections for everybody:

How do you connect to the meaning of your name?

What do you consider to be your greatest attribute?

Do you have a special talent or idea that you'd like to share with the world?

Have you ever redefined yourself? How?

family activities:

• tell the story of your name
  
• play charades
• create a self-portrait

songs to enjoy

• 7 Years by Luke James
• Toast by Koffee
• Masterpiece (Mona Lisa) by Jazmine Sullivan

To build and maintain our community together and make our brother's and sister's problems our problems and to solve them together.

symbol: Akoma ntoaso

dec 28

ujima

ujima

collective work & responsibility

daily reflections for everybody:

Do you prefer to work alone or in teams? Why?

What's your favorite sports team and player?

What was your favorite volunteer experience?

When's the last time you worked with others to accomplish a goal?

family activities:

• clean up the area immediately around you
  
• pick up the trash on your block
• help a friend with a problem they're having (homework, professional challenge, etc.)

songs to enjoy:

• Lean On Me by Bill Withers
  
• If I Ruled the World by Lauryn Hill
• You've Got a Friend (Donny Hatthaway & Roberta Flack)

To build and maintain our own stores, shops and other businesses and to profit from them together.

dec 29

ujamaa

symbol: Nsibidi

ujamaa

cooperative economics

daily reflections for everybody:

How do you (or can you) support black owned businesses?

How do/would you run your small-business?

Where do you spend money that's locally owned?

If you had $1M, how would you use it to support coopertative economics?

family activities:

• shop at a black-owned business (online or locally)
  
• give an elevator pitch for an idea you've had
• bake cookies and sell them to family

songs to enjoy:

• Money by Cardi B
  
• God's Plan by Drake
• I Smile by Kirk Franklin

To make our collective vocation the building and developing of our community in order to restore our people to their traditional greatness.

symbol: The hieroglyph Neferi

dec 30

nia

nia

purpose

daily reflections for everybody:

What's one of your favorite things about yourself?

In the last week, what has been one of your greatest accomplishments? Month? Year?

How have you helped to restore something or someone in your life?

family activities:

• make a list of all of your accomplishments this year
  
• Create a list of the last three generations of your family and share
• paint a rainbow with children

songs to enjoy:

• Golden by Jill Scott
  
• Who We Be by DMX
• The Key by Tems

symbol: the Dogon symbol of creativity (seven vibrations of creation)

To do always as much as we can, in the way we can, in order to leave our community more beautiful and beneficial than we inherited it.

dec 31

kuumba

kuumba

creativity

daily reflections for everybody:

when are you in the most creative spirit?

what's something you created that you're the most proud of?

how have you supported the creativity of others?

when have you had to solve a difficult problem and came out with a great solution?

libation statement:

INSERT LIBATION STATEMENT

family activities:

• put an animal name in a hat (1 for each family member), grab a name out the hat and draw that animal! Guess what everyone drew
  
• Vision boarding

songs to enjoy:

• Put Your Records on by Corinne Bailey
  
• Who Jah Bless by Romain Virgo
  
• To Be Young, Gifted, and Black by Nina Simone

symbol: double symbol of ankh (life) and djed pillar (stabilitY),

jan 1

imani

To believe with all our heart in our people, our parents, our teachers, our leaders and the righteousness and victory of our struggle.

imani

faith

daily reflections for everybody:

what is the foundation of your faith?

who is someone you believe in deeply?

when is a time where you've had faith in someone or something and were let down?

why is faith important to you

libation statement:

INSERT LIBATION STATEMENT

family activities:

• spend time in mediation and reflection (see Siku ya Tamuuli)
  
• write a message to yourself about what you hope to achieve this upcoming year. seal it and read it o a day where you could use some faith in yourself
  
• Prepare for your karamu together!

songs to enjoy:

• I Can by Nas
  
• Faithful by Common
• Eye of the Tiger by Amel Bent (cover)
• It's My Life by Jamar Roger (cover)

Siku ya Tamuli Meditation

The last day of Kwanzaa is the first day of the new year, January 1. Historically this has been for African people a time of sober assessment of things done and things to do, of self-reflection and reflection on the life and future of the people and of recommitment to their highest cultural values in a special way.

Following in this tradition, it is for us then a time to ask and answer soberly and humbly the three Kawaida questions: Who am I; am I really who I say I am; and am I all I ought to be? And it is, of necessity, a time to recommit ourselves to our highest ideals, in a word, to the best of what it means to be both African and human in the fullest sense. (Click here for the Odu Ifa meditation)

This Day of Assessment or Day of Meditation is noted in the first-fruits celebration of the Akan by J. B. Danquah. He states that the Akan have one day during the first-fruits harvest in which they simply engage in quiet reflection. "The idea on this (day) is to maintain a quiet, humble and calm attitude with regard to oneself and towards one's neighbors." It is thus a good time for reassessment and recommitment on a personal and family level.

Closely related to this is an activity also noted by both Danquah and Sarpong, the Day of Remembrance of the ancestors or the Adae. We referred to it above as Akwasidae, but one could also use one of the days of Kwanzaa to pay special homage to the ancestors, those of the national community and those of the family. And this Day of Remembrance may also be a part of the Day of meditation or more precisely, the Day of Assessment. (Official Kwanzaa Website, officialkwanzaawebsite.com)

thank you for celebrating Kwanzaa with us!

Until next year, umoja!