Seven Ways to Celebrate Kwanzaa
- Light a candle on each day of Kwanzaa. Talk about where you saw yourself, your family, and others living out the principles and goals you set for the past year and for the coming year.
- Make decorations with your children and adults who appreciate being creative. Here are some of mine made over many years.
- Go to a public Kwanzaa event in your community OR Prepare a family favorite dish for a potluck celebration.
- Invite someone to your house who is new to Kwanzaa and has expressed interest in learning more.
- Whether you cook it or go out to eat it, partake in an African meal that you have never had before (So many choices – Ethiopian, Nigerian, Ghanaian, Jamaican, Southern Soul Food, Haitian, Cajun…)
- Read together (or at least discuss what you are reading) with family and friends. This simple guide makes sharing simple and short. Here are some suggested readings.
- DO SOMETHING on each day that embodies that principle. Here are a few ideas:
Folami Featured in the NY Times
Resources
LEARN MORE
Official Kwanzaa Website from Dr. Maulana Karenga, creator of Kwanzaa and The Nguzo Saba
Celebrating Kwanzaa: Activity Guide from the Black Child Development Institute-Atlanta
MUSIC
Seven Principles by Steve Cobb and Chavunduka
Helping Our Minds Expand by Sista Folami on Dr. Folami’s album Come Be With Me
BOOKS
The Complete Kwanzaa: Celebrating our Cultural Harvest by Dorothy Winbush Riley
The Story of Kwanzaa by Donna L. Washington
KWANZAA: How to Celebrate it in your Home by Kathleen M. Taylor and Charles A. Taylor
