Interior Design, Interior Decorating Ideas, Home Improvement

Happy Kwanzaa!

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Kwanzaa, the weeklong celebration honoring universal African-American heritage, is about to set in as a mean to reconnect with the traditions and to honor family, community and culture. The one week celebration of remembering, reassessing, recommitting, rewarding and rejoicing can take multiple forms, from a family lighting a candle each night in their home to an afternoon community celebration with African specific activities, music and dance.

Each of the seven days of Kwanzaa is dedicated to one of the seven principles of blackness, as follows: unity, self-determination, collective work and responsibility, cooperative economics, purpose, creativity and faith. The last day of Kwanzaa is the first day of the new year, January 1, also known as the “Day of Assessment” or the “Day of Meditation”, a time of self-reflection and recommitting to the highest ideals.

A very important aspect when celebrating Kwanzaa is adorning the home with traditional seasonal décor. Derived from the Swahili phrase “Matunda ya Kwanzaa” – “First Fruits”, this festive occasion commemorates the first crop harvest and this is why Kwanzaa typical decorations are mostly based on African harvest motifs. Aside from the traditional hallmarks, accent your home with meaningful decorative accessories symbolizing the African cultural heritage such as baskets, colorful patterned cloths, art objects and fresh fruit. Choose the best and most beautiful items to celebrate Kwanzaa so that every object used within your interior redesign represents a piece of African culture and your commitment to the holiday.

Decorate your home in the Kwanzaa traditional colors that are black, red and green – black for the people, red for their struggle and green for their hope in the future. Choose a central place in the house that will be the focal point for the Kwanzaa symbols’ arrangement. First off, place the Mkeka, a straw mat on which all the other items will be placed, therefore symbolizing tradition as the foundation on which everything else rests.

Next put the Kinara (candle holder) on the mat and place the seven candles (Mishumaa Saba) also symbolizing the seven principles and bearing the traditional colors. There is one black candle that represents the first principle of “unity” which is placed in the center of the Kinara. In the left of the black candle, there are three red ones that stand for “self-determination”, “cooperative economics” and “creativity”. The green candles represent the principles of “collective work and responsibility”, “purpose” and “faith” and stand to the right of the central candle. The black candle is lit on the first day of the celebration and the remaining candles are lit from left to right on the following days.

Place Muhindi (ears of corn) next to the candle holder, representing the children and the process of perpetuation. The Unity Cup (Kikombe Cha Umoja) is another traditional symbol of “unity”, being used to pour and drink libation in remembrance and honor of the ancestors.

Zawadi (gifts) are another symbol that represents both the parents’ labor products and the rewards of the seeds sown by the children. Gifts are generally given to the young members of the family and according to the tradition they must consist of at least one book and an African cultural item. A Kwanzaa gift should encourage children to be creative, to educate themselves and also to appreciate their cultural background.

The seventh Kwanzaa hallmark is Karamu, the feast symbolizing the highly festive celebration that brings the community together. It is held on December 31 and includes delicious African cuisines, drinks, music, dance, joy and ceremony.

If you follow the traditionally established guidelines on celebrating Kwanzaa, you will engage your home décor into a beautiful cultural scenery. May the spirit of Kwanzaa bring joy to your heart and home!

Interior Design / Decorating Ideas / Happy Kwanzaa!