Monday, January 3, 2011

"Is it time for Kwanzaa?"

This is what both Mani and Rion asked me over the last couple of days. Mani doesn't understand it's over and Rion gets it but because we didn't celebrate Kuumba he keeps hoping I'll change my mind. I am so happy to see they took so well to something new and little Imani learned a handful of things and I know she will get even more next time and Rion just impressed me with his understandings and ability to learn and analyze things and apply it to his life. I will definitely do this again next year. I will probably change the trying to give gifts on certain days to signify the principle we learned because that was really hard! I may just give them all their gifts on a certain day; maybe Umoja or Imani. We'll see. I will try to incorporate more outside activities and hopefully that will be easier since Mani will be older and hopefully able to stay up a little later since I'm rushed when I come home after work to do Kwanzaa. All in all it was a success. We had awesome deep talks and most importantly meaningful family time. I hopefully planted some good seeds in Rion for the year so he can make good decisions in becoming the person I know he's meant to.

"Kwanzaa isn't even a real Holiday"
...someone said to me ans turns out one of my friends had the same response when she told others about her celebrating it. Lol, what it's not is a religious holiday but we definitely spoke about God, faith and prayer a lot throughout the week. If people can celebrate Thanksgiving and Valentines day and Halloween- we can surely celebrate Kwanzaa. Those holidays (despite their shady origination's) honor something that people want to hold on to such as being thankful for something, showing love for someone, or whatever it is we are supposed to feel about Halloween but Kwanzaa has 7 things in one. I want to celebrate, honor and remember the key points of this holiday as much as I can. I want to instill these values in the kids always but if it takes a day to focus on one so be it.

Why don't more people celebrate this holiday?
It embodies culture and heritage as well as the principles that I'm sure many others believe in so why is it on the calendar but not as understood or participated in as it should? Well from first hand experience I can honestly say - because it's 7 days long! You have to really be dedicated to accomplish this lol. Hanukkah is a long holiday as well but that is for their religion passed on from family to family down the line. It's pretty much mandatory and Kwanzaa is a life choice. I may have quit if the kids weren't so involved and interested as they were! For 1 - I am a single mother who works full time. I get home at 630pm and the baby goes to bed at 8pm. Somewhere in there I have to change gears from work mode to mom mode, do Kwanzaa, fix dinner, get the baby ready for bed along with the other mom stuff I would be doing on a regular evening. It's tiring but it was very worth it. Planning each day was fun too but the time frame I had to do it in was so limited. I had to cut a lot out but I will be more prepared next year for sure.

We came up with some great goals for 2011 and some more confidence and faith in ourselves - we spent the end of the year very close and made some new traditions. Happy Kwanzaa and Happy New Year - Thank you for sharing in our experience!

(saying Happy New Year!)