Counting The Days of Kwanzaa: The Power of Words

The fifth principle of Kwanzaa is Nia: Purpose

Words have their own creative energy.  I realize this years ago, when my son was little I tried to correct his school work by critiquing  all his mistakes with little success. We argued a lot and he was not listening to any suggestions. Finally I got discouraged and was ready to give up. Then one day he showed me a project he was working on but instead of criticism I just exclaimed "Beautiful!"  That one word was like magic he started beaming and later opened up about his school work. My first intentions were good but since then I have learned that positive input works better. And I also realized that I was the only one to give him words of encouragement.

We often say some hurtful things to each other but embracing positive words is also a part of our heritage. In African praise songs, words are used by the community to empower warriors before they go into battle. They sing songs that describe the strength, valor and wisdom of the young men. Today when we send our children to school or out to work they are entering a battle zone and need that same empowerment and support to succeed.  The fourth principle of Kwanzaa: Nia: Purpose gives us an opportunity to examine how we communicate and empower each other. Today we have an opportunity to spread words that light up our hearts, our community and the world.

For inspiration on the principle of Nia read Donavan's Word Jar to a young person. This is the story of a young boy who loves words and collects them in a jar. Then give them a word jar describing their best qualities.  Here are a few words to add to their jar:

supportive              kind                              attentive                         cooperative

stimulating            enthusiastic                  perceptive                       wise

warm                    reassuring                    encouraging                    dependable

loyal                     thoughtful                    considerate                     influential

affectionate          vital                             tactful                             zestful

helpful                 accepting                    refreshing                       inclusive

thorough            valuable                      sensitive                          consistent

creative             curious                        intuitive                           resourceful

leader               directive                      tender                             responsible

alive                 steadfast                     forthright                        reasonable

loving              insightful                    energetic                        uplifting

honest              trusting                      friendly                           right on

careful             positive                    useful                              observant

sympathetic     aware                       neat                                  cool

delightful        empathetic               inspiring                          zealous

clever             reliable                     open                                 astute

funny             optimistic                free                                    organized

careful

Counting The Days of Kwanzaa: Zawadi Stories of Gift Giving

The fourth principle of Kwanzaa is Ujamaa: Cooperative Economics

When I was growing up, silver coins were one of the gifts children in the family received during Christmas.  Silver dollars were easy gifts to give especially when there were lots of children. We were expected to keep them as a small investment that would hopefully grow in value. Sometimes the coins were old, and had monetary and historic value. This was my first introduction to coin collecting.

The US Mint explains why people have an interest in coin collecting,  “Throughout human history, civilizations have told the story of their people through their coins. Today, they still communicate their values and ideals on coins, using symbols and mottos to represent who they are to anyone holding them. As you dive into the world of coin collecting, you’ll discover the wealth of symbolism and the stories that societies wanted to pass on to future generations. You’ll discover the values they cherished, the ideas they celebrated, and the heroes who helped guide their people to where they are today.”

The Lady Liberty coin was the first depiction of an African American woman by the United States Mint, and was created in 2017 to mark their 225th anniversary. For serious collectors the 2017 edition of the coin will only be sold in gold and silver until the end of this year. However the 2018 edition of the coin will continue to be sold.

Since I am not a collector, I don't know if the coins will have any monetary value but they do have historical significance. The US Mint also has coins of Barak Obama, Martin Luther King Jr. and the Tuskegee Airmen.

Gifts for Kwanzaa are called Zawadi and they are supposed to have special meaning. "These are symbolic of the labor and love of parents and the commitments made and kept by the children." Gifts that invest in our children's future can be symbolic but they can also have monetary value like setting up an educational fund for college or gifting classes in technology to a young person.  These are the gifts that our children may not thank us for today but will appreciate in the future.

Counting The Days of Kwanzaa: Reinventing Soul Food

The third principle of Kwanzaa is Ujima: Collective Work and Responsibility.

Holiday traditions are handed down from generation to generation, and connect us as a family and community. Kwanzaa is about sharing new traditions with family and friends. In this new age celebrating holidays also means finding ways to come together in a healthy way. Even while celebrating we now have to find ways to address issues like heart disease, diabetes and the mental stress that plague our community. Many of our problems start at the table with the foods we eat. How can we turn the statistics around?

I remember the irreverent quip from Boondocks about the movie Soul Food. “ Then, she (Big Mama) dies from a heart attack or another stroke or somethin'. And what does the family do after she dies? They get together for a Sunday dinner and eat the same food that just killed Big Mama. The *same* food. They didn't learn a lesson, nobody went on a diet, and that's the end of the movie.”

This thought has always bothered me because food especially Soul food has always been the heart of the family and community. There is so much emotion, history and love attached to the food we eat.  Truthfully, soul food can be healthy when prepared right. Traditional soul food consisted of food freshly picked from the garden like beans, corn, okra, greens, yams and watermelon. Author, renown chef and food justice activist  Bryant Terry provides healthy alternatives to the way we prepare soul food in his cookbook, Afro-Vegan.   "In Afro-Vegan, (he) reworks and remixes the favorite staples, ingredients, and classic dishes of the African Diaspora to present more than 100 wholly new, creative culinary combinations that will amaze vegans, vegetarians, and omnivores alike."  Check out his books for inspiration.

Today be inspired to watch the documentary, Soul Food Junkies and share with family and community.   Soul Food Junkies explores the role food has played in the lives of Black families, raising many questions and offering some alternatives. Hopefully, watching this will start a conversation and an incentive to start creating a healthy lifestyle. We should revamp our favorite family recipes because good health is what we really want to pass down to our next generation.

Counting The Days of Kwanzaa: Share the New Kwanzaa Stamp

The second principle of Kwanzaa is Kujichagulia: Self-Determination.

To begin Kwanzaa 2018, check out Floyd Cooper's art work celebrating Kwanzaa and the Black family. He has created this year's forever postal stamp for Kwanzaa. You are going to want to share these stamps with family and friends and then check out Floyd's other works at:

/https://www.harpercollins.com/author/cr-100532/floyd-cooper/

Counting The Days of Kwanzaa: Honoring the Principles

The first principle of Kwanzaa is Umoja: Unity

Kwanzaa is that holiday we talk about a lot but tend to forget to celebrate enough.  In the mad rush to celebrate the week between Christmas and New Years, this holiday gets pushed to the side with a greeting of Happy Kwanzaa or if we are more enlightened with the question, Habari gani? But there are a lot of reasons to recognize this holiday. First of all celebrations are great fun. Especially a holiday that brings us together to celebrate our culture and heritage. The end of the year is a good time to connect to our values and principles as a family and a nation. Especially after a year when our moral judgement has been challenged.  Think of Kwanzaa as that special time each year that gives us a fresh new look into who we are as a people. This year's theme is “Embracing the Principles and Practice of Kwanzaa: Creating and Celebrating the Good.” At a time when principles and integrity have been pushed aside, The Nguzo Saba: The Seven Principles of Kwanzaa reminds us that everyone should live by principles every day. Our goal should always be to leave the world a better place.

For seven days Maple Sugar Child wants to help you stay ahead of the holiday week so that you can celebrate Kwanzaa. Enjoy our culture, history, philosophy, art and music. Each day we will share an inspirational story or message to remind you that this holiday is special.

Newsone IS Mapping Black Santa Claus: Where To Find St. Nicks Of Color

Meet Santa Larry from the Mall of America

https://www.thesantaexperiencemn.com/the-santas/santa-larry/

Updated from an earlier post

Looking for a Black Santa just became easier with Newsone's Santa Finder.  Where is Black Santa? Now families can track down a St. Nick of color across the country. From the Pacific northwest to rural Georgia, and a handful of spots in between, the U.S. has more Black Santas on deck than ever before. Visit Newsone to find a Black Santa in your area.  In conyers, Ga check out http://therealblacksanta.com/contact/http://therealblacksanta.com/contact/

The Lion King Trailer: Coming Summer 2019

Check out this trailer for the new version of The Lion King scheduled for a summer release.

Hot Chocolate Nutcracker

The Debbie Allen Dance Academy presents the Hot Chocolate Nutcracker. It’s Christmas Eve and the Johnson’s are having a grand party. The Christmas gifts are shared and young Kara receives a Nutcracker filled with hot chocolate – her favorite. She falls asleep and the journey begins when the Nutcracker comes alive!

Three wise cracking mice: Harvey, Schmink and Buckey take over the story. They are the three stooges incarnate from N.Y.C. who call themselves “The Real Rat Pack”. They go to many new lands of wonder: Candy Cane Land, Egypt, the Indian Rainforest/Bollywood, Jazzland, Russia, and the Land of the Kimono Dolls. With dazzling choreography, music and costumes, this is a holiday theater experience that all ages will enjoy!

At Redondo Beach Performing Arts Center, 1935 Manhattan Beach Boulevard, Redondo Beach, CA on December 8 at 1:00 pm. and 7:00 pm. and December 9 at 2:00 pm. Call 866.811.4111.

Magical Musical Holiday Step Show

If you are in Washington, DC this holiday season enjoy Step Afrika's holiday performance. Step Afrika!’s Magical Musical Holiday Step Show is the most vibrant holiday celebration in town! This fun, family-friendly performance will have you stomping your feet and clapping your hands to energetic beats from Step Afrika!

Check out Step Afrika's Holiday Celebration in Washington, D.C.  at the Atlas Performing Arts Center 1333 H St NE, Washington, DC 20002 from December 14 - 30. Ticket price range from $25 for children to $5 for adults.

Circus Abyssinia: Ethiopian Dreams

This holiday season, wishes do come true! Growing up, real-life brothers Bibi and Bichu wanted one thing: to someday join the circus. Now they're here to share their dream with you and your family at the New Victory Theater in New York City. Everyone will be grinning from ear to ear as agile tumblers ricochet around the stage, elastic contortionists twist into unfathomable shapes and expert jugglers exchange an endless array of objects. Let the infectious joy and effervescent energy of Ethiopia's astonishing circus artists warm your heart and inspire you to dream big.

As teens, brothers Bibi and Bichu Tesfamariam caught sight of a teacher juggling oranges on the school playground, and after joining in the action the pair haven't stopped since. Inspired by their own childhood dreams of joining a circus, the duo has sponsored Circus Wingate, a circus school in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, since 2010. There, they discovered the talented Konjowoch Troupe and formed Circus Abyssinia, the first Ethiopian circus made by and for Ethiopian artists.

They have traveled all over Europe with their troupe. Now see their performance at The New Victory Theater, 209 W 42nd Street, New York, NY 10036 646.223.3010 from November 30, 2018–December 30, 2018.