Kwanzaa Party

Kwanzaa is a seven-day celebration that is based on the African tradition of celebrating its “first” fruits or “kwanzaa” (meaning “first”).  The celebration occurs from December 26 to January 1st and lasts 7 days. Kwanzaa and African American Party Supplies

Principles and Symbols of KWANZAA

Kwanzaa Party Invitations

Incorporate colors of Kwanzaa into your Kwanzaa Party Invitations.  Use card stock in colors red, green and black and use natural embellishments to decorate like raffia, jute, corn kernels, bark to decorate.  Other ideas are to use stickers, clipart, and African flags to decorate.

Kwanzaa Party Decorations

Colors of Kwanzaa:

• Red. The color red is for the symbol of struggle.
• Black. The color black is for the symbol of the people.
• Green. The color green is for the symbol for hope and future.

Seven symbols of Kwanzaa to incorporate into your party decor:

1. Mkeka (m-kay-cah) : Straw mat. This mat symbolizes the foundation of values on which our lives are created and therefore is placed as the centerpiece.
2. Kinara (kee-nah-rah) : 7 Candles Candleholder. If none can be found, improvise by arranging seven individual candlesticks in a row or you can make them easily using crafting clay.  The seven candles represent the seven principles of Kwanzaa.
3. Mishumaa saba (mee-shoo-maah sah-bah) : The seven candles. Each candle represent the seven principles of Kwanzaa.  There should be three red candles, three green candles and one black candle. If you can’t find these candle colors, just use card stock to wrap the candles in red, green and black.
4. Mazao (mah-zah-oh) : Crops. Decorate with fruits, nuts, vegetables to symbolize the “first” fruits or harvest.
5. Muhindi (moo-heen-dee) : Corn. Symbolizes the children in the family.  Place one ear of corn on the mat.  Another substitute is a small bowl of corn for the many offspring and hope the children bring. If there are no children in the household place 2 corn on the mat.
6. Zawadi (sah-wah-dee) : Gifts. Gifts are mainly given to children and must include a book, or something of cultural or educational value.
7. Kikombe cha umoja (kee-coam-bay chah-oo-moe-jah) : Unity Cup. Have a cup serve as the unity cup at the table.  Family members will drink from this cup (or recreate the gesture) to honor and continue the struggle and commitment that was begun by the ancestors.

Party Decor: Decorate the entrance, party room and house with:

• Colors of Kwanzaa – red, green and black
• Flags from Africa
• African crafts
• African souvenirs
• African postcards
• Play African songs, traditional and modern
• Use African fabrics or African inspired fabrics to make table runners, pillows, chair sashes, and napkins to decorate the party room.
• Scrapbook paper in the Kwanzaa colors can also be used to dress-up the Kwanzaa table.
• Use baskets to hold fruits, vegetables, nuts and other natural objects
• Use symbols of Kwanzaa to decorate in the party room

Kwanzaa Guest Arrival, Greetings and Rituals

Guest Greetings

Greet guests with the saying:

• “Habari Gani?” (ha-bar-ee gan-ee) – means “what is happening” or “what is news?”

Guests response will depends on what day of Kwanzaa it is. For example on the first day of Kwanzaa one would respond with “Umoja”, on the second day of Kwanzaa it would be “Kujichagulia”, etc.  Each day represents a principle of  Kwanzaa.

There are seven principles of Kwanzaa:

• December 26: Umoja ( Unity ) – light the black candle
• December 27: Kujichagulia ( Self-Determination ) – light the red candle
• December 28: Ujima ( Collective work and responsibility ) – light the red candle
• December 29: Ujaama ( Collective Economics ) – light the red candle
• December 30: Nia ( Purpose ) – light the green candle
• December 31: Kuumba ( Creativity ) – light the green candle
• January 1: Imani ( Faith ) – light the green candle

Kwanzaa Party Crafts

Make crafts using natural objects and to highlight the African culture. Some ideas:

• Make a Family Tree and Put into a frame.
• Take a family picture and decorate the frame in Kwanzaa colors.
• Make a centerpiece with fruits, nuts and dried flowers.  Decorate and finish off with a Kwanzaa bow.
• Make a Kwanzaa candle holder out of clay purchased at craft stores.  Shape into little candle stands (7) and fire in the oven.  Paint in Kwanzaa colors.  Get candles and wrap into colored paper to make Kwanzaa candles.

Kwanzaa Party Recipes

• Black-eyed peas and rice
• Collard Greens
• Johnny Cakes
• Oxtail Stew
• Curried Goat
• Flat breads

Kwanzaa Party Cakes

• Fruit Cake
• Pineapple Upside Down Cake

Kwanzaa Party Games and Activities

• Stories. Read books about Kwanzaa or African Adventure to children.
• Movies. Watch movies about Africa or specific countries in Africa.
• Geography. Get a large map of Africa and have everyone look at the map for 2 minutes.  Put it away and see how many countries in Africa you can remember. To make it more challenging, move on to memorizing cities.
• Language. Learn how to say ‘hello’ in as many African languages as possible.
• Poetry. Read a poem by famous African American people.  Then let guests make up their own poem and read it aloud when done.
• Documentary Reporter. Play reporter and call up as many relatives as possible to see if you can interview them about their lives or ask them if they know any good stories to tell.
• Warrior Masks. Get a few masks and paints from the craft store and decorate into African masks.
• Jewelry. Make jewelry using jute twine, bone beads, and shell pendants.

Kwanzaa Party Favors

Incorporate gifts with the Kwanzaa principal of Zawadi where gifts should be educational, cultural, simple and if possible home-made.  Make delicious Kwanzaa cookies by decorating sugar cookies with icing in the colors of Kwanzaa.  When icing is dry, use yellow icing to pipe on the Seven Symbols of Kwanzaa.