Related Show: Arthur
DIY Kwanzaa Kinara
Traditionally during Kwanzaa, one candle is lit each day in recognition of seven principles. The candles are displayed in a special holder called a kinara. Learn how to make one for your own home.
During December, Arthur's friend, The Brain, and his family decorate their house and learn more about their culture, history, and community as they celebrate the seven days of Kwanzaa . As part of the celebration, seven candles are lit in a special candleholder called a Kinara, and each day of the celebration represents one of the principles of Kwanzaa.
- Umoja (oo-MOH-jah): Unity; to be as one with family and community.
- Kujichagulia (koo-jee-chah-goo-LEE-ah): Self-determination; to be responsible for ourselves and in control of our own destiny.
- Ujima (oo-JEE-mah): Collective work and responsibility; to work together to help one another for the greater good of the community.
- Ujamaa (oo-jah-MAH): Collective economics; to build, maintain and support businesses within the community, as well as to set and meet common goals through mutual support.
- Nia (NEE-ah): Purpose; to be responsible and to set personal goals that will benefit the community as a whole.
- Kuumba (koo-OOM-bah): Creativity; to support the use of creativity and imagination to improve the vibrance and strength of the community.
- Imani (ee-MAH-nee): Faith; to have faith in the strength of the community, our families and ourselves to strive towards the goal of reaching a higher level of existence for humankind.
This holiday season, you can craft a cardboard Kinara with your preschooler to help them learn about the many traditions and principles of this special celebration.
Materials
Directions
Start by making sure that one of your tubes is a bit taller than the others. If they're all the same height, cut an inch or two off of six tubes so that one is taller than the rest.
Paint the tubes: you'll need three red, three green and one black (the tallest).
Once the tubes are dry, glue or tape the tissue paper to one end of each tube to make the flame.
Glue or tape the tubes together in a row, with the tallest tube in the center, to finish your kinara. Happy Kwanzaa!
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Jill Sedita is an attorney, blogger and mother of two who is passionate about global education and seeks to inspire other parents to raise happy, healthy, engaged kids who embrace their global citizenship. She writes about how she enriches her own kids' education as they discover the world’s foods, languages, music, arts, crafts, festivals, and nature on 'Moms Gone Global', where she also provides links to educational sites and other resources useful to raising globally enlightened kids.
Photographs by Karimah Henry.
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