The Everything Family Christmas Book (56 page)

Kwanzaa has taken these fundamental ideas and developed them so that each of its seven days is assigned a principle that is explored on that day. The principles are known by both their English and Swahili names:
Umoja
(unity),
Kujichagulia
(self-determination),
Ujima
(collective work and responsibility),
Ujamaa
(cooperative economics),
Nia
(purpose),
Kuumba
(creativity), and
Imani
(faith). (Swahili is considered a pan-African language, and is widely understood throughout the continent.)

Kwanzaa has seven basic symbols:

•
Mazao,
or crops, represent the harvest.

•
Mkeka,
or the mat, represents the foundation formed by tradition and history.

•
Kinara,
or the seven-branched candleholder, represents the roots of the African people.

•
Muhindi,
or corn, represents children and the future.

•
Mishumma Saba,
or the seven candles, represents the seven principles.

•
Kikombe cha Umoja,
the unity cup, represents unity.

•
Zawadi,
or gifts, represent parents’ love for their children.

On each night of Kwanzaa, a candle is lit on the kinara as a way to mark awareness of the principle. After the candle is lit, the prescribed part of the evening is over. As with most of Kwanzaa, it is up to the individual to decide how he or she would best like to explore the principles, and the festival as a whole. Some give examples of the principle at work in their daily life, others read stories or poems by African or African-American authors; still others play music or dance.

Kwanzaa Food

Fruits and vegetables are an important part of Kwanzaa, as they symbolize unified effort, as in harvesting. The week is also highlighted with special African or African-American foods, such as black-eyed peas salad, Yassa (chicken marinated in onion sauce), groundnut soup, sweet potato pie, collard greens, brown rice, cornbread, fish, and African stew.

Diwali

A five-day festival, Diwali (also known as Deepavali in southern India) is one of the biggest and most joyful festivals of the Hindu and Sikh years, taking place in October or November, depending on the lunar cycle. It shares with Christmas a tradition of candle lighting and gift giving, but of course celebrates something quite different.

The overwhelming significance of Diwali, or the Festival of Lights, comes from its name, which signifies the triumph of light over darkness, and thus of good over evil. This is celebrated particularly on the third day of the festival, which coincides with the complete waning of the moon (which creates a dark sky). Oil lamps
(diyas)
and candles are lit, and the Lakshmi Puja ceremony calls on the goddess of wealth to bless the house.

The festival also marks other significant events, according to the area that people come from. Some believe, for example, that it recognizes Lord Rama’s return from a war in which he killed the demon Ravana. Others believe that it recognizes the death of another demon, named Narajasura, at the hands of Lord Krishna’s wife. Others associate it with the god Vishnu’s banishment of king Bali to the underworld.

In general, however, along with good over evil, Diwali is a time of rebirth, which is why you’ll find many participants wearing a new set of clothes to symbolize the new beginning (which in some areas actually coincides with the beginning of a new year). Many people exchange gifts during Diwali, particularly sweets, and it’s very common to hear firecrackers exploding in celebration. Diwali is also a time of worship and reflection on one’s inner light, and is overwhelmingly a time for family and loved ones.

Ramadan

Ramadan is one of the most significant months—the ninth—of the Muslim calendar. It is believed that this is when the Holy Quran, the book that guides those who follow Islam, was sent to earth from heaven. Ramadan’s date varies according to the cycles of the moon, which periodically puts the start of the holiday in December for several years running, but can occur any time during the year, including summer.

Also known as the holiest of months, Muslims use Ramadan as a time to worship and to renew their faith. To help them do that without the interferences of everyday life, they will observe a fast during daylight hours, during which they will refrain from eating and drinking and other activities, such as smoking. It’s also important during this time to watch one’s behavior: to avoid lying or gossiping or being angry or jealous. The focus is on being pure in thought, word, and deed.

The fast begins at daylight—defined as the earliest time of day in which you can distinguish a white thread from a black one—and can be broken with a meal called the
iftar
as soon as it is night. While the fast can be challenging in countries near the equator, where night and day are roughly equal, it can be even more difficult in northern countries where nights can be much longer than the days, depending on the time of year. In this case, the fasting schedule of other countries is often adopted.

Muslims have five prayers that they say daily, according to the time of day; Ramadan adds one more, called the Taraweeh, or night prayer. The night of the 27th day of Ramadan is considered especially holy, as is the Laylat-al-Qadr, or Night of Power, when the Holy Quran was revealed to Mohammed, and when God sets the world’s course for the coming year.

The end of Ramadan is celebrated with a three-day festival to break the fast, called Eid ul-Fitr. It’s a time to gather with family and friends, to eat and pray together, and to recognize those less fortunate with gifts of food. In an interesting echo of traditions from other cultures, new clothes are often worn during this festival—once again symbolizing a rebirth.

More Celebrations

This time of year is significant for other beliefs, too. Buddhists, for example, celebrate December 8 as Bodhi Day, the day on which Buddha achieved enlightenment and thus transcended beyond the earthly plane of birth, death, and rebirth.

And, of course, modern-day Druids and Wiccans celebrate December 21 as the winter solstice—the longest night of the year, when the sun appears to die and be reborn, offering the promise of renewal and rejuvenation.

From Ramadan to Bodhi Day, Kwanzaa to Hanukkah, this time of year is a very special one for many people around the world. As technology and the news media increasingly shrink our world, making it easier to communicate and to understand each other, it’s worth taking time out to recognize the diversity of ways in which people choose to guide their lives.

13
Christmas Your Way: With Family and Friends

M
ore than any other holiday, Christmas is a time for gathering together with family and friends—a time for red noses and chilly toes during skating and tobogganing parties, or the touch of a salt-tinged breeze at the ocean’s edge … sitting down together over delicious meals, enjoying concerts and carol sings, or sharing holiday cheer at special parties. It can be a whirlwind of a season, but there are great ways to celebrate Christmas, make it meaningful for your family, and still be stress-free!

Create Your Own Christmas Traditions

Many Christmas traditions are passed down within families from generation to generation, but there’s no reason why you can’t create some special traditions of your own to mark the season. There’s also no reason why those traditions can’t adapt over the years as children get older and families change. The key is to make the traditions ones that are meaningful, enjoyable, and special for you and those close to you.

Decorating Traditions

Facing an entire house—or even just a tree—that needs decorating for Christmas can be a daunting task. Why not turn it into a family event or invite friends who might be spending the holidays on their own? If it’s easier for you to decorate on your own, you could arrange for friends or family to “borrow” your children for their own shopping or decorating party, giving you time to get your house looking festive.

You can also turn buying your Christmas tree into an event, whether you’re choosing one from a tree farm in the country or a tree lot in town. Find the tree as a family, armed with a Thermos of hot chocolate or another favorite drink.

Many families buy a special ornament for each child annually—they might have the year on them, or simply reflect the child’s interests, from hockey to ballet. Ornaments are also available that tell the Biblical story of Christmas. You can also involve the family in putting together the Nativity scene, whether it’s a large outdoor version or a smaller tabletop set. If your scene has great emotional value for you, it might be wise to buy another inexpensive set of figures that the kids can help with.

Advent calendars and wreaths not only add to the seasonal feel, but also provide children with a tangible, visual clue to how long it is until Christmas. You could make the calendars or wreaths as a family, or purchase them and create a little ceremony out of opening the calendar windows each day of December or lighting the candles in the wreath each Sunday before December 25. And every member of the family could use a stocking: Perhaps older children can help make stockings to welcome new family members or even pets.

Family Activity Traditions

The holiday season offers special events and activities pretty much every evening and weekend, so there’s never any shortage of things to do. If your family has a favorite activity, then by all means indulge! Some families choose a different activity each year, perhaps even voting for it at a family meeting (helping to show how democracy works) or coming to a decision together (demonstrating consensus building in action).

Activities can range from those with a fee (local zoos, museums, sports facilities, and science centers, for example) to those that are likely completely free (such as carol services, tobogganing, and many neighborhood skating rinks). Christmas light displays can make for a great activity, too: Simply pile the kids into the car and head to your local display (many towns and cities feature a special light display)—or even take a stroll around your block to check out the neighboring houses.