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Kwanzaa

A Magical and Meaningful Holiday

By Jennifer Newton Reents

There also are seven symbols of Kwanzaa and two supplemental ones. Each represents values and concepts reflective of African culture and contributive to community building and reinforcement, according to Karenga, in his writings on his Official Kwanzaa Web site. The basic symbols are in English and then Swahili:

• The Crops (Mazao) – These are symbolic of African harvest celebrations and of the rewards of productive and collective labor.
• The Mat (Mkeka) – This is symbolic of tradition and history and, therefore, the foundation on which Kwanzaa is built.
• The Candle Holder (Kinara) – This is symbolic of roots and that of continental Africans.
• The Corn (Muhindi) – This is symbolic of children and the future that they embody.
• The Seven Candles (Mishumaa Saba) – These are symbolic of the Nguzo Saba, the seven principles, the minimum set of values that African people are urged to live by to rescue and reconstruct their lives in their own image and according to their own needs.
• The Unity Cup (Kikombe cha Umoja) – This is symbolic of the foundational principle and practice of unity, which makes all else possible.
• The Gifts (Zawadi) – These are symbolic of the labor and love of parents and the commitments made and kept by the children.

The two supplemental symbols are:

• The Flag (Bendera) – The colors of the Kwanzaa flag are black, red and green; black for the people, red for their struggle and green for the future and hope that comes from their struggle.
• Poster of the Seven Principles (Nguzo Saba Poster)

The number seven has significant meaning in Kwanzaa. "The number seven in African culture is associated with the good of life," Karenga says. "The harvest festival umkhosi of the Zulu people is seven days long. The Dogon people's sacred narrative of creation explains creation in terms of seven vibrations emanating from the creative and rhythmic movement of the Creator, and the ancient Egyptian people have seven cardinal virtues based on the principle of Maat – rightness in the world. So the number seven has an ancient and ongoing association with the principle of good in the world in African culture."

Want to see more?

• iParenting's Holiday Headquarters
• Holiday Spirit: Helping Your Preteenager Make the Most of the Giving Season
• Transferring Traditions: Passing Down Family Traditions to Your Children
• Talk about it!