was created especially for

Jessica Ann Smith

at the age of 6

With love from,

Mommy and Daddy

December 27, 2001

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Hello, Jessica. My name is Zawadi. My

name means "Gifts" in Swahili. I am a

storyteller, and I'm here to tell you

about a very special holiday. It is

called Kwanzaa. Have you ever heard of

Kwanzaa, Jessica? It means "First

Fruits of the Harvest". It is time to

celebrate our African-American heritage

and culture. We celebrate Kwanzaa from

December 26th to January 1st.

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We celebrate many holidays such as

Christmas and Thanksgiving, but Kwanzaa

is special! Yes, Jessica, gifts are

given, but the true meaning of Kwanzaa

can be found in the good feeling that

comes from learning about our past.

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It is very important to remember our

past, Jessica. Kwanzaa helps us to

celebrate the ties that bind us to our

African heritage.

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Kwanzaa can be celebrated in many ways.

In keeping with the spirit of Kwanzaa,

we can wear African dress and decorate

our home in the red, green and black

colors that symbolize our holiday. Red

is for our struggle, green is for the

hills of Africa, and black is for the

color of our people.

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Many families enjoy celebrating the

Kwanzaa holiday with relatives and

friends. They come together to tell

traditional stories, to prepare special

meals, to sing, to dance, and to play

music. Everyone has a wonderful time!

Why don't you invite Sarah, Lynn and

Rebecca to celebrate with you this year

in Fort Wayne?

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Perhaps the most important part of the

Kwanzaa celebration is the study of the

seven principles. These principles

should be learned and practiced every

day, Jessica, not just during the

Kwanzaa celebration.

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There are seven candles called the

Mishumaa Saba that symbolize the seven

principles of Kwanzaa. These candles

are placed in a special candle holder

called a Kinara. We light one candle

each day.

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With the light of the first candle,

Jessica, we begin to learn about the

first principle called Umoja. It means

unity. We must attempt to create unity

within our families, our communities,

and our nation.

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The second candle stands for

Kujichagulia. It means

self-determination. We should know who

we are, stand up for ourselves, and do

what is right.

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The third candle is lit for Ujima. It

stands for collective work and

responsibility. Each member of the

family is given an ear of corn called

vibunzi to symbolize the African

harvest. The harvest represents our

hard work, and without hard work there

is no reward.

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On the fourth day, Jessica, we light

the candle for Ujamaa. Ujamaa means

cooperative economics. One way to

practice the principle of Ujamaa is to

do well in school, get a good

education, and one day contribute your

skills to your community.

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The fifth candle is lit for Nia. Nia

means purpose. Our purpose, Jessica,

is to honor our ancestors and our

parents. We must work together to

restore our communities and our

families. With purpose we can

accomplish many wonderful things.

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The sixth principle of Kwanzaa is

Kuumba. It means creativity. We can

express our creativity in many

different ways. Whenever possible, we

should use our creativity to help each

other and to better our communities.

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The last candle to be lit on our

Kwanzaa celebration is for Imani, which

means faith. We must always remember

our continuing struggle, Jessica, and

believe in ourselves, our parents, and

our future. We must keep the faith of

our ancestors.

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On the last day of our holiday, we

gather together for the Kwanzaa Karamu

or feast. On the table is a straw mat

called a mkeka. On the mkeka is placed

a basket filled with mazao or fruits

and vegetables. This act symbolizes

the product of our unified effort.

Gifts are given to one another.

Although the gifts are simple, usually

a book or something made by hand, they

are special because they are given with

love on Kwanzaa.

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"Umoja" - Unity

"Kujichagulia" - Self-determination

"Ujima" - Collective Work and Responsibility

"Ujamaa" - Cooperative Economics

"Nia" - Purpose

"Kuumba" - Creativity

"Imani" - Faith

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