Kwanzaa: The Healthy Alternative
Leahcim Semaj, Ph.D. - Change Agent

This year again many have had to struggle to break the addiction to some of the more distasteful aspects of what Christmas has become. For people who are moving towards an Afrocentric worldview, Kwanzaa is the appropriate antidote. In 1998 Professor Simoes attributed part of the success of the Reggae Boyz to his incorporation of the principles of Kwanzaa into their training. I am happy that every year more Jamaicans are being exposed to and benefiting from these uplifting ideas.

THE SEVEN PRINCIPLES
Kwanzaa is celebrated from December 26 to January 1. On each day a different principle is celebrated as a guide to our thoughts and action. The spirit, principles and practice of Kwanzaa are a celebration of ourselves as an African people, of our history and our commitment to a fuller and more productive future in this world and to the society which we will transform through bold new alternative thought and practice.

DECEMBER 26 UNITY - IJMOJA
To strive for and maintain unity in the family, community, nation and race.

DECEMBER 27 SELF DETERMINATION - KUJICHAGULIA
To define ourselves, name ourselves, create for ourselves and speak for ourselves instead of being defined, named, created for and spoken for by others.

DECEMBER 28 COLLECTIVE WORKS AND RESPONSII3UJITY - UJIMA
To build and maintain our community together and make our sister's and brother's problems our problems and to solve them together.

DECEMBER 29 COOPERATIVE ECONOMICS -UJAMAA
To build and maintain our own shops and other businesses and profit from them together.

DECEMBER 30 PURPOSE - NIA
To make our collective vocation the building and development of our community in order to restore our people to their traditional greatness.

DECEMBER 31 CREATIVITY - KUUMBA
To do always as much as we can, in the way we can, in order to leave our community more beautiful and a better place than we inherited it.

JANUARY 1 FAITH - IMANI
To believe with all our heart in our people, our parents, our teachers, our leaders and the righteousness and victory of our struggle to become productive and just country.

I strongly recommend that you use the last week of the year to cleanse and purify yourself, to set new growth goal for the New Year.

WAIT UNTIL AFTER CHRISTMAS
Kwanzaa begins on December 26 for the express purpose of escaping the entrapments and alienating activities. One is encouraged to do one's shopping during After Christmas sales and to be guided by the following principles as one gives gifts:

1. Gifts are to be given primarily to children.
2. They should be given as reward for work done during the year and for commitments made and kept.
3. They should not be mandatory, excessive or unrelated to our goals of transforming our society and ourselves.

How many of last year's gifts were useful? How many gifts did your children show any interest in after Boxing Day?

WHY GIVE THE CREDIT TO SANTA?
As a principle, gift giving in Kwanzaa is open and informed so that parents get full credit for their hard work and sacrifice. Let the child know that you worked, saved and bought them the gift, not some strange man in a red suit. What does Santa do for a living? How can he afford all those gifts? Plus you really should discourage your children from being licky licky and from taking things strangers.

GIVE A BOOK
One suggestion to make gift giving meaningful is to include two special items. Regardless of what else is given you should include two items, a book and a symbol of our heritage. Books expand a child's horizons and allow them to develop that most important skill of reading and discovering for themselves. The cultural symbol can be anything from a Jamaican made product to an African shaped pendant. These symbols help to keep us in touch with ourselves and serve to remind us of our rich heritage and the great future we have the potential to build. Other gifts could include clothes and shoes, things that your children need. It is time that we leave the conspicuous consumption to those who are culturally and spiritually dead. Those who know better should do better.

THE SYMBOLISM OF THE CORN

Ears of corn are used to decorate our homes. The custom is to place on the front door as many ears of corn as there are children in the house. If there are no children, you still put one ear; the potential always exists. The ear of corn is the product of the stalk. The product has the potential of becoming future producers and reproducers thus ensuring our immortality as a people and a nation. We place emphasis on our children because they are our future. During Kwanzaa we work to strengthen the bond between parent and child, not just in the home but also in the extended family of the community. Child rearing was intended to be shared by fathers. Mothers should not be trapped by slave-like routines with no time to ensure their own growth. It is therefore necessary during this last week of the year, as we prepare for the year to come, that we reconnect or strengthen our bonds with our children. This can not be done via mindless buying and giving of useless trinkets. This can only be done by you giving of yourselves and your time.

Fathers, in addition to making sure that your children have clothes and books for school in January; spend some time with them. Take them out and share some experiences. I assure you that you will feel better about yourself the next day.

So even if you cannot break the addiction to Christmas, please try to bring a little of the spirit of Kwanzaa into your life this year. You will love you a little more. Were we not admonished to love our neighbours AS we love ourselves?