Kinara

Kinara is a Swahili word meaning "candle holder." It is a central symbol of Kwanzaa, an African American and Pan-African holiday celebrated from December 26th to January 1st. The kinara holds seven candles, called the Mishumaa Saba, each representing one of the seven principles of Kwanzaa, known as the Nguzo Saba.

The seven principles, represented by the seven candles, are:

• Umoja (Unity): To strive for and maintain unity in the family, community, nation, and race.
• Kujichagulia (Self-Determination): To define ourselves, name ourselves, create for ourselves, and speak for ourselves.
• Ujima (Collective Work and Responsibility): To build and maintain our community together and to make our brothers' and sisters' problems our problems and to solve them together.
• Ujamaa (Cooperative Economics): To build and maintain our own stores, shops, and other businesses and to profit from them together.
• Nia (Purpose): To make our collective vocation the building and developing of our community in order to restore our people to their traditional greatness.
• Kuumba (Creativity): To always do as much as we can, in the way we can, in order to leave our community more beautiful and beneficial than we inherited it.
• Imani (Faith): To believe with all our heart in our people, our parents, our teachers, our leaders, and the righteousness and victory of our struggle.

During Kwanzaa, one candle is lit each day, starting with the black candle (representing Umoja) in the center, followed by a red candle on the right and a green candle on the left, alternating each day. The red candles represent struggle, and the green candles represent the future and hope.

The kinara is typically placed on a Mkeka, a woven mat, which symbolizes the foundation of African tradition and history. Other symbols often displayed alongside the kinara are Mazao (crops) representing the fruits of collective labor, Vibunzi (ears of corn) representing children, and Zawadi (gifts) which are given, often handmade, to encourage growth, self-determination, and creativity. The kinara, along with the other symbols, serves as a focal point for discussions about the principles of Kwanzaa and their application in daily life.