Establish your own traditions!!
Within the African diasporic cultures the practice of creating traditions and ritual is very important. Many communities make a point of marking occassions like births, the change in the seasons, food harvests, and age-based rites of passage with special events and celebrations. These activites establish traditions that are shared and provide for advancement of communal knowledge, emotional healing and renewal of commiment to what matters most.
For all people of African descent Kwanzaa (Dec. 26- January 1) represents the perfect opporutnity to establish tradition in the home or community. If you have not done so already start your preparations. Decorate your home with the colors red, green and black. Use cloth, art work or anything you create. Set up the symobls of Kwanzaa using a mkeka (mat), a basket with fruits and vegetable, ears of corn (one for each child in the family) and a Kikombe cha umoja or unity cup. Add the kinara, the special candleholder with the seven candles, one black, three green AND THREE RED and your celebration is set to begin. Spend each day in the ritual of lighting a candle and remember the past and celebrating the future by reflecting on each of the seven principles....Umoja (unity), Kujichagulia (self-determination), Ujima (collective work and responsibility), Ujamaa (cooperation), Nia (purpose), Kuumba (creativity), Imanni (faith).
May we have peace this Kwanzaa season.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment