Happy Kwanzaa!
Kwanzaa is a week-long African-American festival (December 26-January 1)
The festival comes from the East-African Swahili phrase "Marunda Ya Kwanzaa," which means "first fruits of the harvest," and was established in 1966 by Dr. Maulana Karenga, a leading theorist of African-American history and culture to cultivate our culture to ensure a thriving, flourishing, successful, strong, vigorous, profitable, lucrative, expanding, booming and in other words prosperous future. We must work tirelessly to employ these principles as a part of our lives.
As a cultural celebration, Kwanzaa has no ties to specific religious beliefs or practices. However, where God's people are gathered together He is in the midst!
The first principle of Kwanzaa is Umoja (oo-MOE-jah)
Unity--To strive for and maintain unity in the family, community, nation, and race. This is symbolic of the foundational principle and practice of unity which makes all else possible. Find ways to unify symbolically--some families and friends light candles together to show unity, some share a meal and yet some unify by attending concerts, churches and/or classes together. Let's keep the unity going in our daily walk. Ephesians 4:1-6.
The second principle of Kwanzaa is Kujichagulia (koo-jee-cha-goo-LEE-ah)
The second principle of Kwanzaa is Self Determination to define ourselves, name ourselves, create for ourselves, and speak for ourselves. Philippians 3:12-17.
The third principle of Kwanzaa is Ujima (oo-JEE-mah)
The third principle of Kwanzaa is Collective Work and Responsibility--To build and maintain our community together and to make our brothers' and sisters' problems our problems and to solve them together by working together. 1 Thessalonians 5:12-18.
The fourth principle of Kwanzaa is Ujamaa (oo-JAH-mah)
The fourth principle of Kwanzaa is Cooperative Economics--To build and maintain our own private businesses even it's other income streams and to work together to profit together. It's called Community Harvest. 2 Corinthians 9:10-15.
The fifth principle of Kwanzaa is Nia (nee-AH)
The fifth principle of Kwanzaa is Purpose--have a purpose to collective as our vocation to build and develop our community with emphasis on our youth to care for one another and themselves because we are all ordained for greatness. Hebrews 13:1-7.
The sixth principle of Kwanzaa is Kuumba (koo-OOM-bah)
The sixth principle of Kwanzaa is Creativity--To do always good in the way we can leaving our community and the people we encounter better off than we found them. We do this by sharing our gifts. 1 Corinthians 12:1-11.
The seventh principle of Kwanzaa is Imani (ee-MAH-nee)
The seventh principle of Kwanzaa--Faith--To believe with all our hearts in righteousness for all to have victory over our struggles. This is Compassion--Faith, Love and Understanding. Ephesians 1:15-23.