After December 25, most people will have finished celebrating the winter holidays, and will begin to put away Christmas decorations and prepare for the New Year. As for Senior Aziza Stewart, her holiday festivities will be just beginning.
Stewart celebrates Kwanzaa, a holiday lasting from Dec. 25 to Jan. 1 that honors African heritage. Her holiday activities include lighting the Kinara, a special candle holder, every day, and greeting family members with Swahili phrases, such as “Habari Gani?” which means “What’s the news?”
Kwanzaa lasts seven days, and centers around seven principles. The first day is Unity, which is followed by self-determination, collective work and responsibility, cooperative economics, purpose, creativity and faith. To symbolize each of the days, there are also seven objects placed in the center of a table in her home. The centerpiece of the display is the Kinara with the seven Mishumaa (candles), underneath is a Mkeka (mat), and around it are Muhindi (corn), Mazao (crops), a Kikombe cha Umoja (cup) and Zawadi (gifts) given from parents.
In Stewart’s family, the tradition of honoring the holiday started with her great-grandmother, and the responsibility has been passed down ever since. Now, Stewart goes to her grandmother’s house to celebrate.
“People ask me, kind of as a joke, ‘Hey, so you celebrate Kwanzaa, huh?’, but then I say ‘Yeah,’ and they’re surprised,” Stewart said. “There aren’t many African Americans in the school.”
Kwanzaa isn’t the only holiday for Stewart though, as Christmas is important in her house as well. Celebrating both holidays began when Stewart was eight and her family decided to celebrate Christmas for the first time.
“Once I got to third grade, I changed from private school to public school, so my family decided to start celebrating Christmas,” Stewart said. “Before it was mostly just Kwanzaa.”
Now, instead of giving gifts on the last day of Kwanzaa, Stewart’s parents give presents on Christmas Day. But though some of their traditions have changed, one particular activity they continue to do is libation, a special ceremony honoring African Americans who have inspired them.
“If it was a big turnout with my family, we would go around the room and name a person that influenced African American culture as well as ourselves,” Stewart said. “Then we’d say ‘Ashe’, and dump a little water into a plant.”
Throughout her life, having this African American holiday has impacted Stewart’s perspective on her family history. By being able to think about the values emphasized during the event, she feels it has also helped her connect with her family more.
“It brings you back to your roots,” Stewart said. “It’s not all about being American, it’s about being African too.”
TCHS School Newspaper