Kwanzaa in the Home December 2, 2016

SPOKANE, Wash.—Around the country, families will gather the week following Christmas to light seven candles, honoring their African heritage and focusing on the core principles of their community.

“These are things we teach our children and impart to them that our heritage should never die,” said Stephaine Nobles-Beans, the coordinator for diversity, equity, and inclusive ministries at Whitworth University.

Kwanzaa is an African-American holiday celebrating African heritage and culture. The holiday is celebrated Dec. 26 through Jan. 1 every year. Unlike other popular holidays in December, Kwanzaa is not affiliated with any religion.

The focus of the holiday is to celebrate culture, Nobles-Beans said. Nobles-Beans incorporates her Native American culture in with Kwanzaa as there is no one way to celebrate the holiday.

“We celebrate who we are and where we come from,” Nobles-Beans said.

Kwanzaa was introduced to the United States by Dr. Maulana Karenga in 1966. Karenga was a social rights activist in the 60s. He currently serves as department chair of Africana studies at California State University, Long Beach. The holiday was introduced as response to the commercialization of Christmas and to provide a way for African-Americans to embrace their cultural roots, Nobles-Beans said.

Karenga introduced seven principles, the Nguzo Saba, for the seven days of Kwanzaa. The terms are Swahili, but translated, they are unity, self-determination, working together, supporting each other, purpose, creativity, and faith.

The Nguzo Saba are core values derived from African culture to be embraced by individuals to better their community, Nobles-Beans said.

“Be creative in who you are and remember where we came from,” Nobles-Beans said about day six: creativity.

Along with the Nguzo Saba, Kwanzaa focuses on three symbols: corn, gifts, and the cup of unity. The three symbols represent the hope of the next generation, commitments of parents to children, and ancestry, respectively.

The gifts are not extravagant, usually small homemade gifts given on Dec. 31, Nobles-Beans said. Gifts are given to children, a common gift being traditional African clothing. Yet the gift giving is not the most important part of Kwanzaa, it is honoring ancestry, Nobles-Beans said.

“I am the orator of my family—my children and my 11 grandchildren,” Nobles-Beans said. “I am a storyteller.”

Nobles-Beans passes down African proverbs to her grandchildren in the evenings of Kwanzaa, she said. Stories like the Turtle and the Alligator and the Scorpion and the Turtle are among her grandchildren’s favorite. The stories reinforce the core values of African communities.

The last of the three symbolic Kwanzaa rituals is the cup of unity which is filled with water and poured into a plant. Watering the plant symbolizes honoring the African roots, a symbol of respect for ancestry.

“I become emotional because I remember my ancestry,” Nobles-Beans said with tears in her eyes. “I say, ‘Asante,’ and my grandchildren respond, “Asha!’”

Kwanzaa is a way for African-Americans to celebrate their heritage as a family. Africa was once a nation known for its royalty, wealth, and craftsmanship, Nobles-Beans said.

Nobles-Beans presented her handcrafted candle holder with two men carved into the ends of the stand and a tapestry with the Nguzo Saba printed on it.

“I don’t normally show people these,” Nobles-Beans said referring to her candle holder and tapestry. “They were passed down to me by Deacon Brown.”

The candle holder had seven spots for seven candles: one black, three red, and three green. Black, red, and green representing the people, the struggle, and hope for the future. Each night, one more candle is lit, similar to Hanukah practices.

Basic traditions such as candle lighting and the Nguzo Saba remain the same from home to home while everything else is dependent on how the family chooses to celebrate, Nobles-Beans said.

The heart of Kwanzaa is to celebrate heritage and core values of African-American ancestry, Nobles-Beans said.

Contact Rachel Rogers at Rrogers18@my.whitworth.edu