Barbara Linde - Celebrating Kwanzaa

A Big Feast

On December 31, many families have a big Kwanzaa feast called the karamu. Some people wear African-style clothes. Everyone sips from the unity cup. They eat sweet potatoes, bananas, and other tasty foods. Theres dancing, singing, and drumming.

A Day to Think

The parties and games are all done by January 1. On that day people quietly think about their ancestors and their community. They plan how they want to live in the new year. Friends and families often give gifts to help them remember the principles.

GLOSSARY

ancestor: a family member who lived long before you

celebration: a time to show happiness for an event through activities such as eating or playing music

harvest: crops brought in at the end of a growing season

principle: a belief or truth

race: a group of people that have features, such as skin and hair, that look alike

tradition: a long-practiced custom

FOR MORE INFORMATION

BOOKS

Minnick-Taylor, Kathleen. Kwanzaa: How to Celebrate It in Your Home. Madison, WI: Praxis Publications Incorporated, 2013.

Otto, Carolyn B. Holidays Around the World: CelebrateKwanzaa. Washington, DC: National Geographic Childrens Books, 2017.

WEBSITES

Activity Village.co.uk: Kwanzaa

www.activityvillage.co.uk/kwanzaa

Learn the history of the Kwanzaa holiday. Get instructions on making traditional Kwanzaa crafts and download coloring cards and pages.

The Official Kwanzaa Website

www.officialkwanzaawebsite.org/index.shtml

Find out how and why Dr. Maulana Karenga founded Kwanzaa. Learn how to celebrate the holiday.

Publishers note to educators and parents: Our editors have carefully reviewed these websites to ensure that they are suitable for students. Many websites change frequently, however, and we cannot guarantee that a sites future contents will continue to meet our high standards of quality and educational value. Be advised that students should be closely supervised whenever they access the internet.

INDEX

African 6, 9, 16, 18

African American 6, 8, 12

ancestors 6, 8, 16, 20

candles 14, 16, 17, 18, 19

candleholder 14, 16

community 12, 20

gifts 4, 14, 20

family 10, 14, 22, 23

food 4, 20, 21

Karenga, Dr. Maulana 6, 7

music 4, 5, 13, 20

principles 8, 9, 10, 12, 14, 16, 20

Swahili 10

symbols 14, 16

Please visit our website, www.garethstevens.com. For a free color catalog of all our high-quality books, call toll free 1-800-542-2595 or fax 1-877-542-2596.

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Names: Linde, Barbara M., author.

Title: Celebrating Kwanzaa / Barbara M. Linde.

Description: New York : Gareth Stevens Publishing, 2020. | Series: The history of our holidays | Includes index.

Identifiers: LCCN 2018055438| ISBN 9781538238783 (pbk.) | ISBN 9781538238806 (library bound) | ISBN 9781538238790 (6 pack)

Subjects: LCSH: Kwanzaa--Juvenile literature. | African Americans--Social life and customs--Juvenile literature.

Classification: LCC GT4403 .L56 2020 | DDC 394.2612--dc23

LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2018055438

Published in 2020 by

Gareth Stevens Publishing

111 East 14th Street, Suite 349

New York, NY 10003

Copyright 2020 Gareth Stevens Publishing

Designer: Laura Bowen

Editor: Barbara Linde

Photo credits: Cover, p. 1 Ailisa/Shutterstock.com; pp. 224 (background texture) secondcorner/Shutterstock.com; pp. 324 (background flags) saicle/ Shutterstock.com; pp. 5 (top), 13 SAUL LOEB/AFP/Getty Images; p. 5 (bottom) Shahar Azran/WireImage/Getty Images; p. 7 Bettmann/Bettmann/Getty Images; p. 11 Portland Press Herald/Portland Press Herald/Getty Images; p. 15 Connie Coleman/ Photographers Choice/Getty Images; p. 17 Inti St. Clair/Photodisc/Getty Images; p. 19 Miami Herald/Tribune News Service/Getty Images; p. 21 Hill Street Studios LLC/DigitalVision/Getty Images.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form without permission in writing from the publisher, except by a reviewer.

Printed in the United States of America

CPSIA compliance information: Batch #CS19GS: For further information contact Gareth Stevens, New York, New York at 1-800-542-2595

A Happy Celebration

This happy celebration has drums and dances. It has songs, stories, and games. Its 7 days long. Theres a candle for each night. There are gifts. Families eat tasty food and use a special cup. Lets learn all about the holiday called Kwanzaa (KWAN-za)!

The Reason for the Holiday

Dr. Maulana Karenga started Kwanzaa in 1966. He wanted to help African Americans honor their African ancestors. He chose December 26 to January 1 for the holiday. Many African groups gather their crops around that time. The name Kwanzaa comes from the phrase matunda ya kwanza, or first fruits of the harvest.

The Seven Principles

Seven principles are celebrated during Kwanzaa. The word Kwanzaa has seven lettersone for each principle! These ideas help African Americans learn about their ancestors and their values. They show people how to live good lives. People talk about one principle each day.

Every day someone asks, Habari gani (ha-bar-ri-ga-ni)? or Whats the news? Then they talk about the days principle. Unity is about belonging to a family and a race. Self-determination means learning how to be yourself. Work is helping each other.

Business is about having community stores and shopping in them. Purpose is about honoring traditions. Creativity is about doing things for the good of the community, such as making beautiful Kwanzaa decorations. Faith is about believing in the African American community.