Kwanzaa Candle Craft

Kwanzaa, is an Pan-African festival that honors African American heritage, and it lasts seven days from December 26th to January 1st. It celebrates families and traditional African values as outlined in the seven Kwanzaa principles. Each night, a candle is lit in the Kinara (candle holder), and a Kwanzaa principle is discussed. The Kinara symbolizes the stalks of corn that branch off to form new stalks, representing how the human family is created, and it honors ancestors. One ear of corn is placed on a place mat (mkeka) for each child present on the Feast of Karamu on December 31st.