Central to the festivities is the lighting of candles and pouring of libations—a ritual act of honoring ancestors and the divine by offering drinks from a wooden unity cup. Each day of Kwanzaa ...

After all, one can’t pour from an empty cup! The first principle of Kwanzaa, Umoja, means unity. It promotes striving for unity in your community. However, one can’t be unified with others if ...

“What Kwanzaa means to me is a celebration for ... The Kinara is placed on a table along with Mkeka (Mat), Mazao (crops), the Unity Cup, and other symbols of African heritage.

Kwanzaa was created in 1966 as a secular holiday ... “We loved exploring the Unity Cup and talking about the creativity theme,” she said. “We were given a pamphlet, so I think we’ll ...

and tradition), a Kikombe cha Umoja (a unity cup) and Zawadi (gifts), the website reads. Kwanzaa gets its name from the Swahili phrase, “matunda ya kwanza,” which means first fruits in Swahili ...

Kwanzaa is a weeklong celebrate in African ... ears of corn; gifts; a communal cup, signifying unity; and seven candles in the African colors of red, green, and black, symbolizing the seven ...

and a small black unity cup. To kick off the ceremony, seven elders, each representing a principle of Kwanzaa, marched to the sound of a hand-beaten drum toward the front of a crowd.

The celebration featured all the symbols of a traditional Kwanzaa celebration, including the Kinara and its seven candles, nestled into a display alongside crops, corn, gifts and the unity cup ...

and the unity cup. Each day of Kwanzaa is centered on a guiding principle, collectively known as the Nguzo Saba. Participants find ways to put in practice Umoja or Unity; Kujichagulia or Self ...

A Kwanzaa altar or table display typically includes: • A mat (Mkeka), which symbolizes present and ancestral work. • A unity cup (Kikombe cha Umoja) used to perform a ritual with libations.