by 2 people |
Nguzo Saba: The 7 Social and Spiritual Principles of Kwanzaa
NGUZO SABA (En-GOO-zoh Sah-BAH)
Symbolizes the seven principles of Kwanzaa which were developed by Maulana Ron Karenga. The Nguzo Saba are social principles dealing with ways for people to relate to each other and rebuild their lives in their own images.
For more information, visit the kwanzaa page at The Mystic Voodoo.
Also see my other lenses on Kwanzaa and Kwanzaa symbols.
Generations of Women
Nguzo Saba
The 7 Social and Spiritual Principles of Kwanzaa
UMOJA (UNITY)(oo-MOE-jah). Celebrated on day one. This principle teaches striving for and maintaining unity in the family, community, nation, and race. KUJICHAGULIA (SELF DETERMINATION)
(koo-jee-cha-goo-LEE-ah). Celebrated on day two. It is a principle that teaches defining oneself, naming oneself, creating for oneself, and speaking for oneself.
UJIMA (COLLECTIVE WORK and RESPONSIBILITY) (oo-JEE-mah). This principle is celebrated on day three, and teaches building and maintaining the community together, recognizing others problems as our own, and solving those problems together.
UJAMAA (COOPERATIVE ECONOMICS)(oo-JAH-mah) Practiced on day four, this principle teaches building and maintaining African American stores, shops and other businesses and profiting together from them.
NIA (PURPOSE)(nee-AH). This principle is practiced on day five. It is a principle that encourages the collective effort of building and developing the community in order to restore African Americans to their traditional greatness.
KUUMBA (CREATIVITY)(koo-OOM-bah). Practiced on day six, this principle emphasizes doing the best you can and as much as you can always to to make your community better than when it was first inherited.
IMANI (FAITH) (ee-MAH-nee). On day seven, this principle serves as a reminder to believe in the African American culture, family, community, and in oneself.
The Complete Kwanzaa: Celebrating Our Cultural Harvest
by D. Winbush Riley (Author)
The Complete Kwanzaa: Celebrating Our Cultural Harvest
Amazon Price: (as of 07/13/2009)
Editorial Review from Amazon.com
"All ethnic groups seek acceptance in society and their place in the universal order," writes educator Dorothy Winbush Riley. "And each group, through holidays, demonstrates its interpretation of human experience." For millions of African Americans, the week after Christmas is a time to celebrate Kwanzaa by reflecting upon seven principles, among them creativity, cooperation, and faith, which are considered the foundation of successful societies. Riley elaborates upon each of these principles through a combination of first-person narratives, poetry, folktales, quotations, and proverbs. The section on Kujichaguila (self-determination), for example, includes poems from Riley, Nikki Giovanni, and Serena Gordon, and excerpts from Booker T. Washington's Up from Slavery and Michael Jordan's Rare Air. Ultimately, Riley says, the principles of Kwanzaa cannot be relegated to seven days at the end of the year; if we really want to take Kwanzaa to heart, we must live it in every moment.
Here's my favorite link:
Great Kwanzaa on Amazon
Kwanzaa and Me: A Teachers Story
Amazon Price: $15.75 (as of 07/13/2009)
K Is For Kwanzaa
Amazon Price: (as of 07/13/2009)
Practicing Kwanzaa Year Round
Amazon Price: $7.95 (as of 07/13/2009)
Was this lens on nguzo saba helpful to you?
Swahili Words and Phrases Associated with Kwanzaa
As with all holidays and celebrations, there are words and phrases associated with Kwanzaa that are symbolic of its purpose and meaning. Some of these words and phrases are as follows:HABARI GANI
Many people start the nightly celebrations by asking "Habari gani?" which means "What's the news?" The correct response is the Nguzo Saba of the day.
HARAMBEE
Meaning "let's pull together!", this word represents a call to unity and collective work and struggle.
KWAHERI
Swahili term used as an expression of parting with good wishes and an expectancy to meet again.
"KWAHERI!"
Reader Feedback
mankarn singh wrote
thanke this site is the best because all the other dom sites dont even show them from order and i cant event find all the principles thius site showed me it in order thanke bye merry christmase and happy new year.
Posted December 27, 2008
mankarn singh wrote
thanke this site is the best because all the other dom sites dont even show them from order and i cant event find all the principles thius site showed me it in order thanke bye merry christmase and happy new year.
Posted December 27, 2008
by voodoomama
Greetings! Thanks for dropping by! If you like what you see, please check out my other sites. Thanks!
Native American Wellness
The Mystic Voodoo
Plane...
