Kwanzaa is not a religious holiday. Kwanzaa is a reflective holiday, created by an American teacher in the mid-1960's during the Civil Rights Movement. Kwanzaa was created to pull the African-American community together.

Kwanzaa is based on ideas borrowed from Africa, from an ancient Swahili seven-day- long festival.Africa

Kwanzaa is a seven day event, designed to celebrate the ancient African heritage shared by modern African-Americans.

Kwanzaa begins each year on December 26 and lasts through the first day in January. The symbols of Kwanzaa are African harvest symbols, like ears of dried corn and colorful tablecloths. People decorate their homes for Kwanzaa.

An important symbol is the wooden candlestick. This candlestick holds 7 candles in a row. The center candle is black. There are 3 red candles on one side There are 3 green candles on the other.

Day One: The black candle is lit. This is a day of sharing feelings. The family gathers and shares how they feel about each other. Many problems are cleared up, simply by talking about them. The black candle signifies unity, which is the central theme of Kwanzaa.

Day Two: A red candle is lit. This is a day of sharing traditions. Some people might teach others how to braid hair or how to play an African drum.

Day Three: A green candle is lit. This is day of sharing a common goal. Everyone in the family works together to get a chore done - perhaps paint a fence or clean out the garage.

Day Four: A red candle is lit. This is a day sharing a family gift. A gift is either made or purchased, something the whole family can enjoy. It can be anything from a house to a cookie cutter.

Day Five: A green candle is lit. This is a day of sharing dreams and hopes. This is an especially good day to ask yourself and each other, "What do you wish to accomplish in the coming new year?"

Day Six: A red candle is lit. This is a day of sharing creativity. First, everyone in the family creates something - a poem, a story, a dance, a painting. In the early evening, the family gathers. Each family member shares what they have created.

Day Seven: A green candle is lit. This is a day of sharing a feast. The family gathers and enjoys baked ham, roasted yams, collard greens, thick bread, pies and desserts!

And that is Kwanzaa. This holiday was greatly enjoyed in ancient Africa, just as it is enjoyed today.Kwanzaa ancient Africa

SOUPS  African Tomato-Avocado Buttermilk Soup  Peanut Soup with Okra CroutonsVEGETABLES  Sweet Potato Fritters  African Squash and Yams  African Green Pepper and Spinach  Southern Fried Okra  Collard Greens  Black-Eyed Peas with Ham MEATS  Yassa Chicken  Lamb Kabobs  Oxtails Stew  Roast Beef  HamDESSERTS  Benne Cakes  Sweet Potato Pie  Coconut Pie  Banana Cake SELECT 1 SOUP, 2 VEGETABLES, 2 MEATS, AND 2 DESSERTS FOR YOUR KWANZAA FEAST

WRITE A STORY! Now that you have selected your Kwanzaa Feast, create an African American and/or bi- cultural family, and write a story with the main topic being a description of the digestive process from the time the food enters the mouth of a family member until the time the waste exits the body. The story must be in sequential order and include cause-and-effect. If time permits, illustrate your story.