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Sweet Treats for Your Kwanzaa Celebration

Although relatively new to many people Kwanzaa is fast becoming one of the most popular holidays in the United States, as families from coast to coast gather in celebration of their heritage and with hope for their future. This wonderful winter holiday celebration continues to bring charm, fun and illumination to new generations year after year.

The Kwanzaa celebration is a week long festival which is celebrated from December 26 through January 1 of each year, and its purpose is to celebrate African American heritage through a unique combination of gift giving, feasting and family centered activities. Good food and good drink are an integral part of this wonderful holiday.

The name Kwanzaa is derived from a Swahili phrase which translates to "first fruits", representing both the concept of new beginnings and the rich African heritage embodied in this celebration.

While the holiday of Kwanzaa is still somewhat new to many people, it has been steadily gaining both respect and recognition, and many new families are choosing to make this holiday a part of their winter celebrations. It was even issued its very own stamp, further proof of how mainstream the holiday has become.

Kwanzaa is distinguished from other holidays by the celebration of the seven principles, designed to instill the worthy goals of unity in family, community, nation and race. . These seven principles, celebrated throughout the seven days of the festival, are:

Umoja, or Unity - Working together is a bit part of the Kwanzaa celebration, and the principle of unity urges all celebrants to work together for unity in family, community, nation and race.
Kujichagulia, or Self-Determination - Followers of this principle learn to define themselves, name themselves, create for themselves and speak for themselves.
Ujima, or Collective Work and Responsibility - This principle helps festival participants to build and maintain their communities together and solve community problems together.
Ujamaa, or Cooperative Economics - This principle focuses on building and maintaining stores, shops and other business ventures from which the entire community will benefit.
Nia, or Purpose - This principle of Kwanzaa focuses on making the building and development of the community a collective effort. Following this principle helps the community and the people restore their collective and individual greatness.
Kuumba, or Creativity - Following this principle can include such things as strengthening and beautifying the neighborhood, and leaving things stronger than they were before.
Imani, or Faith - Faith is a big part of the Kwanzaa festival, as evidenced by the principle of Imani. Festival participants use faith to further their struggle and make their lives and the lives of their communities better.

Even though the principles that guide the Kwanzaa festival are quite serious, the celebration itself is a great deal of fun, as relatives from across town and across the country gather to celebrate what they have and work to obtain more satisfaction and more peace in their lives. As with other such celebrations, good food and good drinks are a big part of the fun, with festival goers breaking out their favorite old and new recipes to share with their families and friends. There are special foods which are part of the festival, and many other foods that are special to each family's celebration.

Of course sweet treats are a big part of the fun as well, and no holiday celebration would be complete without a selection of fun candies and other confections. As with other holiday celebrations, candy and other sweet treats can add a great deal to the fun, and the youngsters in particular love getting special bags of candy and other sweet treats as part of the gift giving which is included in the celebration of this festival.