The First day of Kwanza is celebrated on 26th December
On this day we celebrate Togetherness (ingathering) the achievements of family members (The harvest concept of Kwanza) To strive daily to engage in practices which build bonds of affection and attachment to our family members and our neighbours.
Perspective on Unity
Promoting the unity of our family is a task for the whole family. The unity is action on behalf of the whole family On this day the celebration calls on us to forget our divisions and strengthen s our ties that define and bind us a family. Unity is the spiritual and social gravity which pulls the family together-spouse, parent and children, and family and neighbours. At its core, the principle unity is about attachment- attachment to each other and most importantly to the values which define us as family, as community and as a people.What Unity Day is about?
Unity Day begins the Kwanzaa celebration. Each family/community celebrates Kwanzaa in a way that is most meaningful to them. That said; keep the following in mind when celebrating:
- Have
the family engage briefly or as long as you desire in the purpose of the Kwanzaa
celebration
- Review
the Kwanzaa symbols
- Make
the celebration focus on your family
- Make
the celebration festive and joyous
- Try
to have a special meal- at home or away
- Make
the day special with a focus on family togetherness
Unity Day Activities:
The activities of Unity Day should reinforce the principle unity. Therefore, here are some suggestions (Note you do not have to do all of these or you may select what you want to do to reinforce principle unity).
- Pour
Libation for your family members and African heroes and heroines who are
no longer living
- Tell
stories about your family-remember your parents, grandparents, aunts,
uncles, significant others
- Together-proverbs,
folktales, riddles
- Partners
talk about your history together and the things which you have done
together with brings you joy
- Sing
Along-play music and sing together
- Celebrate
Celebrate, Celebrate: family, achievements, the common good
- Karamu
(African Feast)
Unity Cup/Kikombe
Cha Umoja
This symbol represents and reinforces the first principle of Kwanzaa. Unity is gravity which pulls and holds the family and community together. During Kwanzaa as well as on special occasions-birthday celebrations, graduations, weddings or anniversaries- immediate family members drink from the Unity Cup to symbolize and reinforce the bonds of affection that bind them together.
The Candle Lighting Activity
The black candle- represents and is symbolic of the people.
Candle Lighting: On the first day of Kwanzaa the family lights the black candle. This candle is symbolic of the black people. The placement and order of the Kwanzaa candles teach and reinforce valuable lessons for the family.
The
lesson is that we light the black candle first to reinforce the value of making
our family a priority. The African proverb says, “The ruin of a nation
begins in the home,” The Unity principle demands that family members and
neighbours respect and care for each other. The candle lighting activity
presents one of the best moments for family members to assess their practice
around “unity” and make a specific commitment to practice “unity” during the
next year. The celebrations emphasize the positive in the assessment. Do not start with what
has not been done. Always reinforce and reward even partial achievement or success.
Record your family commitments in a Kwanzaa journal.
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