Top 10 New Year’s Destinations Around The World New Year’s is the time to celebrate the year past and the year to come, with parties, drinking and spending some quality time with your loved ones, for the globetrotting kind perhaps the best idea is to travel around the world and indulge in the best that they have to offer. Here is a list of the Top 10 New Year destinations around the world, so get those reservations going, bags packing and head out for a trip of a lifetime. 1. Copacabana Beach, Rio De Janeiro: The Carnivalesque atmosphere, beach side, fireworks and parties like no other, the Copacabana Beach comes alive on New Year’s. The celebration is known as “Reveillon” in the local language, and the Brazilians sure know how to revel and make merry. If there is a must visit list somewhere, Copacabana Beach on New Year’s should be number one on it. 2. Times Square, New York: The sheer energy that you feel being at the Times Square on New Year’s Eve is phenomenal. Almost a million people are estimated to be present at the place to watch the ball descend, and along with the entertainment shows that are organized its one big party that you will never forget. So if the throbbing city life, coming alive is your scene Times Square in New York, is the place to be for you. 3. Sydney Harbour, Sydney: The famed Fireworks display at Sydney Harbour, sort of sets of the bar for rest of the major New Year destinations to follow, since it is one of the first major cities to see the New Year, Sydney does it much style. The “Harbour of Light” parade begins at 1 pm on the 31st and the celebration continues to the wee hours of the morning of January 1st. With an estimation of over a million people attending the display this year, Sydney makes up for a viable destination. 4. Frenchmen Street, New Orleans: The fabled Bohemian lifestyle of the Frenchman street has made Frenchman Street at New Orleans a favourite New Year’s destination for both locals and tourists alike. Its bars, cafes and musicians that like to give impromptu performances, the eclectic taste New Orleans is one you must savour at least once in your lifetime. 5. The Brandenburg Gate, Berlin: One of the finest destinations for some drinking bouts, good food and celebratory cheer, the Brandenburg Gate in Berlin is the place to be. The 1.2 miles long stretch on 17th June street come alive for party people from everywhere as music, performing DJ’s and laser light show set up the atmosphere into a huge open-air disco. 6. Shibuya, Tokyo: The plethora of clubs and bars that are set up in the heart of Tokyo’s entertainment zone, light up for New Year’s in quite a manner. You can visit the Center Gai which is famed as the birthplace for Japanese fashion, or you can visit the Meiji Jingu, a shrine that is of great relevance as well as reverence on the occasion. 7. The London Eye Fireworks Display, London: Home to the Greenwich Mean Time and safe to say that it is probably the heart of international time standards, the Fireworks celebrations at the London Eye is electric for lack of a better word. The whole city comes to life under the lit sky and the atmosphere is as full of vitality as the sky. 8. Sanam Luang, Bangkok: For a distinct Asian flavour of celebrations Sanam Luang in Bangkok is perhaps the best bet. With traditional cuisines, music and performers, Bangkok’s party district is the place to be if in Thailand for New Year’s, irrespective of what strip you are at, Sanam Luang ensures that you will have a great time. 9. Champs Elysees, Paris: The famed Parisian experience truly comes alive at Champs Elysees in Paris, with walks by the river-side, wine drinking and a view of the Eiffel tower in its full fireworks glory, if you have that special someone that you want to celebrate the onset of the New Year with, Paris is the place to be. 10. Las Vegas Strip, Las Vegas: Known as Sin City worldwide, Las Vegas gets an even more electrifying punch for New Year’s, with a mammoth party menu, which is filled with celebrations like no other, the turn up at the Las Vegas strip on New Year’s is unbelievable. Be it the drinking, partying or visiting casinos, there is no other place that can offer you entertainment like Las Vegas.
New Year Toasts Raising New Year toasts is one of the most common rituals observed by people across different parts of the world. Pop up the bubbly and raise a toast to say goodbye to the year gone by and to usher in the new one. However, there are some steps involved in raising a perfect toast on special occasions like the New Year. Making a statement in front of the guests while clanking the glasses to raise a toast can make a first-timer quite nervous. With knowledge of the right formulas perfect ways to raise a toast with finesse, you can save yourself from being in an embarrassing situation at the time of New Year celebrations. When you raise New Year toasts, you will also have to make impressive statement before doing the act. Frame your speech to include the experiences and anecdotes of the year gone by. Focus both on the positive as well as the not-so positive aspects of the year and talk of the changes that it has brought along in your life. It is best to avoid making any negative remark, show any personal grievances or include disturbing thoughts in your speech. Saying something malignant about anyone or anything while raising New Year toasts will spoil the fun. A common mistake that most people end up doing while raising New Year toast is that they prolong their speech for more than the required time. It can become annoying for guests at your New Year’s Eve party to wait for your lengthy speech to get over before they could raise their glasses to say cheers to the old year and welcome the new one. Make sure that you limit the toast speech for a few minutes and check out the reaction of the audience to see whether you have been successful in keeping the audience entertained with your anecdotes and experiences. Keep your toast speech brief to let people revel in the celebrations quickly. The best thing to do to remove any signs of nervousness at the time of giving the speech toast is to write down the speech on a piece of paper and practice it before you go to the stage to perform the act. You can carry the written note along with you when you get up to raise the toast if you fear that you might mess it up on stage. Include a short introductory line, keep forth ideas for bringing in a better environment in the year ahead and conclude it on a positive note. Acknowledge the people present in the New Year’s Eve party when raising New Year toasts to attract the attention of the audience towards you. Taking names of few of the eminent people as present in the party or ending the toast speech by saying ‘here’s to all of you’ in case of the presence of several people at the party will make your statement impressive. Chances of giving that perfect New Years toasts might get ruined if you are high on spirits and find it difficult to even stand to raise the glasses for a toast. So avoid drinking heavily before raising the toasts. You can go on a drinking binge right after the speech.
New Year Planner Come new year and its time to buy a New Year Planner. Its a great gift idea too. After all, when would be a better time to plan and organize for a new year than when its about to begin! If you are asking yourself, why do you need a planner at all? Its your cool tool to use your new year better. Realistic Goal-setting: Once you’ll have your New Year Planner in your hand, marked with all the important birthdays, anniversaries, family functions, and festivals, won’t you be in a better position to tell more accurate dates for accomplishing important milestones and hence fix more realistic goals? Motivational factor: Having a planner with you in itself is a good enough stimulant for the mind to plan for the year ahead. Face it! If you’d have a new year planner for next year with you right now, won’t your mind nag you constantly to fill it up with all the dates you already know you ‘d be busy on; dates on which you must plan a get-together feast/ party; and dates by which you must buy stuff much in advance for family/ friends/ colleagues/ philanthropic reasons etc. so that you do not feel as lost or late or having missed the opportunity for anything, like you might had to feel this year in the absence of proper planning, without a planner. Brilliant Gift Idea: You should gift your loved ones something that’s useful, far-fetching and something that will stay with them for long as a sweet memory. Right? So, what could be better than gifting a nice New Year Planner. Be your friend/ relative a student, a professional, a business man or a home maker – a planner is useful for anyone of these and beyond. After all, everyone can use a bit of planning in their lives amidst busy schedules and lots of life happening around. To make a planner appear really useful, you must first keep a few tips in mind. Its important to remember that efficient use of the planner would translate into more time for yourself and your passions and the people you love. So, keeping the following in mind will help you make optimum use of a New Year Planner. 1. Buy a planner of the right size that would be convenient for you to carry around on daily basis. At the same time, it should be large enough to contain all your to-do lists, appointments and other notes that you must jot down for future use and reference. 2. Group all to-do activities in broadly and give each a color code for easier reading. For instance, some things you’d record shall be personal (say Blue), some official (Yellow), some recreational (Pink), others health-related (Red) or financial (Green) and and hence, your custom list should take shape. You may keep highlighters or writing pens of these colors handy to make the colorful recordings. 3. Tab “Today” with a bookmark or a paper clip or different color highlight for quick flipping through the pages.
New Years Ball Drop New Years ball drop is a remarkable event observed from many years during New Year celebration at Times Square. It has a history of more than 100 years. Millions of people from different parts of the world gather to view the sparkling Waterford Crystal Times Square New Year’s Eve Ball drop. The last minute of the year witnesses the famous ball drop and people together pray for a descent, prosperous, challenging, and eventful New Year. The New Year ball becomes a year long attraction that glows as a sparkling jewel on the top of the Time Square. The crystal ball drop was designed and developed by Waterford Crystal artisans in Ireland. The passing year had a beautiful New year Ball Drop theme. The message for the year was “Let There Be Joy”. The theme perfectly depicts the New Year celebration mood of people. It spreads a beautiful message that calls for global peace and happiness for all human being in the world. The first Time Ball is believed to be installed on the top of England’s Royal Observatory at Greenwich in the year 1833. The ball was dropped every afternoon at 1 O’clock. The purpose was to indicate time to the captains of the nearby ships. Since then more than 150 public time-balls have been installed in different parts of the world for certain purposes. However, the New Year Time Ball represents a special occasion to mark the coming of the New Year. The New Year ball drop at the Times Square is a perfect mix of art and technology. The new solid state lighting technology was provided by PHILIPS LIGHTING. The ball contained 32,256 Philips Luxecon Light Emitting Diodes (LEDs), which are capable of creating more than 1 million colors and more than one billion possible patterns. New Year Ball drop at the Times Square, New York is one of the most famous attractions of the world that has so far attracted numerous people across the globe.
Lunar New Year Traditions As it is evident, the lunar New Year is based on moon cycles and therefore its dates are not fixed. Usually, it commences in the last week of January or in the month of February according to the solar calendar, as the Chinese calendar is the combination of solar and lunar cycles. Lunar New Year is celebrated in many parts of Asia such as China, Korea and Vietnam. It is also celebrated in the US and other countries by the Asian communities. Similar to the solar calendar, lunar year is also divided into 12 months and the first day of the first month is called lunar New Year. The lunar New Year has been observed as an auspicious holiday for the past five thousand years in China. The Chinese calendar actually began in 2700BC, during the reign of Emperor Huang Ti. Later on, in the 2300BC, Emperor Yao instructed his astronomers to invent a calendar that can help farmers determine the exact time of different seasons and the right time to harvest. Preparations Chinese observe the lunar New Year with great fanfare and rendezvous with friends. The preparations start from the last dates of the previous lunar month. They pay all their debts, get their hair cut and buy new clothes. To ward off misfortune and invite good luck, they clean their homes. The cleanliness drive is thorough and massive. But, on New Year’s Day, the cleaning is completely prohibited, as it’s considered to be inauspicious on that day. Rubbish and dirt is collected in the room till the next five days and then it’s cleared through the backdoor. Decoration Paper cutouts of traditional themes of happiness and wealth are used to dress and adorn the windows and doors. Incense is used in houses and places of worship as a mark of respect for ancestors and as a good omen for health in the New Year. New Year’s Eve A special get together is arranged on the New Year’s Eve, where popular local dishes are served. Family members play cards and other games or simply watch the New Year programs on TV. At midnight, the celebration begins with dazzling fireworks. Fireworks and lights are considered to be a powerful act to ward off the evil spirits. New Year Day In the morning, when the sun of the New Year dawns, youngsters and children greet their parents and elders and in turn are awarded with “lay see”, the money kept in red envelopes and thought to be lucky. Then the family members go outside the house and wish their neighbors and friends knocking every door in the neighborhood. This is an auspicious and festive occasion, where people do away with their differences, reconcile as a goodwill gesture, and exchange gifts for many days to come. All around, there is an atmosphere of peace, festivity, celebration, social get-togethers, folk dance and fun. The celebration continues till the next fortnight. It’s also known as Spring festival and after this festive season ends another festival called the Lantern Festival starts. Food The festival food is amazing and there are up to nine dishes on the dining table during this festival. Number four and any number which is less than six is avoided, when it comes to number of dishes. The favorite food includes fish, whole chicken, dumplings, jiao zi, Jai, and fried vegetables. Colors According to a legend, Nian monster, the evil power that swept away all crops, livestock and villagers in Ancient China can be thwarted with bright red clothes. Red is considered to be a color that protects and brings good luck in the New Year. White is considered to be a symbol of sorrow and misfortune and hence it’s avoided completely.
Lunar New Year Recipes Lunar New Year celebrations Lunar New Year, the spring festival is one of the most traditional Chinese holidays and it is observed by Chinese, Koreans and Vietnamese populations. It marks the end of winter season and ends with Lantern Festival on the 15th day. In 2019, the lunar New Year is falling on 5th Feb. The festival has mythical, cultural and historical significance in these Asian communities. There’s no particular food associated with the occasion, such as turkey cranberry sauce is associated with Thanksgiving Day in United States. So, there are no specific dishes that can represent the cuisine of the lunar New Year. What is important is social get-togethers and dining with your loved ones. Festive foods and dishes There are countless festive foods and dishes which can make your New Year’s Eve quite a celebration. There is something for everyone, regardless of how big the party is. Whether it is a private dinner with your family and friends, or a grand gala party, the cocktails, appetizers and desserts can make the event memorable. Chicken Lettuce Cups, Chicken Lo Mein with Ginger Mushrooms, Chinese Trinidadian Stir-Fried Shrimp with Rum, Jiaozi Dumplings, Tangerine Beef, Thai Shrimp Halibut Curry and Pot Stickers are some of the dishes that the people love to eat at the New Year’s Eve. Popular local cuisine Homemade jiaozi (dumplings with a wheat flour wrapper) are popular in Northern China, whereas in South people love the rice dishes. Rice cakes are considered to be lucky food, as “Nian” the Chinese variant for “year” stands for rice. Apart from that meat, seafood, and vegetable dishes are also enjoyed at this occasion. Stir-fried, Nian Gao (rice cakes) is the most popular dish across China. Below are some of the types of foods and drinks that people love to have on this occasion: Appetizers Asian Cocktails Desserts Dishes Fast Food Vegetarian Dishes Asian Cocktails: The popular cocktails for Lunar New Year celebrations are: Mango Margarita: A simple margarita recipe with mango flavor Red Lotus: Sweet and refreshing lychee and cranberry flavor Mango Spice Cocktail: A Mango Vodka with mango nectar and hot jalapeno peppers Lotus Blossom: Martinti, vodka, Japanese sake with lychee nuts and lime flavor Appetizers Jiaozi Dumplings: A New Year Eve dish; Jiaozi Dumplings with Dipping Sauce (Ginger Soy) Spring Rolls: A gold bar shape rolls are considered to be a symbol of wealth, stuffed with vegetables and barbecued meat Pearl Balls: A symbol of reunion, it’s a round meatball Lettuce Wraps: A lucky Cantonese food, where chicken meat can be replaced with dried oysters Potstickers: Half pan fried and half steamed dumplings served with Soy Sauce, chillies and Ginger Clam Sycee: A Shanghai food resembling gold is a symbol of good fortune Yuanxiao Dumplings: Dumplings meant for Lantern Festival the closing of New Year celebrations Main dish recipes for Lunar New Year Kung Pao Chicken: A spicy Szechuan dish, with ingredients such as diced chicken, chili peppers, peanuts. The stir fried version reduces the calories of the dish. Peking Duck: A delicious Beijing dish made with duck slices to be taken with hoisin sauce and pancakes General Tso’s Chicken: An authentic Hunan chicken dish named after a Chinese army general Cantonese Roast Duck: A very popular and easily available shiny reddish skin Cantonese duck dish White Cut Chicken: A symbol of purity; a chicken poached in rice wine to turn its meat color into pure white New Year Desserts The popular New Year Desserts are Sticky Cake (Nian Gao), Baked Nian Gao, Peking Dust, Almond Cookies, Egg Custard Tarts, Sesame Seed Balls, Eight Precious Pudding, Five Spice Peanuts, Sago Tarts, Sweet Red Bean Soup, Sesame Seed Custard, Fortune Cookies, and Preserved Kumquats.
Lunar New Year Customs The New Year celebrations are always observed with certain customs and traditions. Explore the Lunar New Year customs followed by many of the countries all around the world. Lunar New Year customs are followed by Chinese and Koreans. Only these two countries calculate the New Year as per the moon based calendar. There are many traditions and rituals practiced by them during the celebrations time. Lunar New Year traditions Worshipping the Kitchen God – The New Year customs are based on the Lunar Calendar. Kitchen god s worshipped on 23rd and 24th of lunar December. God residing in the kitchen is called as the Kitchen God. People who follow the lunar year believe that every family has Kitchen God who guides and protects the family from the evils. House cleaning – The entire house and shops are swept and cleaned. Each and every corner of the living area is cleaned and washed. It is believed that this would bring good luck and fortune to their homes. Sacrifice ceremony – It is Lunar New Year tradition to arrange family dinner and gatherings during the New Year time. The Chinese hold a worship ceremony and offer sacrifices to the heavenly Gods and ancestors. Feast on New Year – The families in Japan and Korea prepare special dinner which is called the ‘Family reunion dinner’. All the members and close friends are present in this gathering to enjoy the scrumptious meal prepared for the last meal of the year. Staying up on New Year Eve – Among other customary practices the Chinese people stay up on the Lunar New Year. The elders follow this to show that they are really cherishing the moments of festivity. The younger ones stay up for longevity and good health and the children enjoy the fun moments. Lucky money – All the elders of the family present lucky money to the younger ones. It is one of the major traditions of Lunar New Year. Parents and Grandparents give money during the family dinner to the children. It is ritual to secretly keep this amount under the pillows after the children fall asleep. Family Visits – During the New Year celebrations of 15 days the close friends and families visit each other and exchange gifts and cakes. It is Lunar Year tradition to give money to the children on these days. New Year decorations – The homes are painted red which is beloved to shun the bad evils from entering the house. Lunar New Year includes portraits of Door Gods, paintings, paper cuttings for the windows and Chinese knots. Earlier days it was lighting up the candles but, lanterns and bulbs have replaced it. People adorn their homes and shops with red paper lanterns, flags, festoons and tiny bulbs. Luna New Year greetings – It is a very important Lunar New Year customs to call all the relatives and friends during this time. This is one of the welcoming wishes conveyed to all the near and dear ones. Fireworks – Greeting the New Year starts with the setting off firecrackers to display the spring festival. With the bang and illumination of fireworks, people rejoice the announcement of New Year. Hope you enjoyed the New Year celebrations and gathered information on the Lunar New Year customs.
Lunar New Year Attractions 2019 Lunar New Year Fireworks Display This year iconic Victoria Harbor, Hong Kong will be witness to a panoramic firework show on the first day of Lunar New Year on 5th Feb, 2019, as China and Hong Kong usher in the Year of the Sheep. Thousands of visitors and locals would queue up to enjoy the pyrotechnic displays at various cities in China as well. Lunar New Year is one of the most important Chinese holidays and it has many related festivals, such as Lantern festival, Dragon Boat, Qingming, and Mid-autumn festival, which continue for the next 15 days. Chinese people see it as an opportunity to wash away the ill luck of the previous year and invite the good luck and fortune in the New Year. That’s the reason they pay off their debts before the New Year Eve, get their haircut and decorate their houses with auspicious symbols, cutouts with good luck themes and red colored wall hangings to ward off ill fortune. Also known as Spring Festival, it’s similar to Canadian Icewine festival and Western Christmas and New Year week, where people indulge in celebrations, colorful parades, shows, eating out and other festivities. Legend associated with Lunar New Year Similar to the other Asian festivals, the origin of the festival is quite unknown, but according to a popular legend there was a huge beast known as Nian in ancient times, who used to attack villages in China in spring season and gobbled up whatever came its way, including men, livestock, buildings and animals. One spring, an old man suggested a trick and asked all the villagers to hang sparkling red papers in front of their houses, doors and windows and burn bamboos when the monster arrives. The trick worked. The beast was in fact so bewildered seeing the brightness, glitter and burning crackles of the bamboos that it ran away from the settlements. At present the word “nian” stands for the “year.” Since the time, people in China have been hanging lanterns and red paper objects at their doors and creating loud sounds on the Lunar New Year’s Eve. Burning bamboos were replaced with even louder firecrackers. So, the Chinese rightly believe in the louder, bigger and better. New Year Festival Activities Chinese people take their New Year very seriously. It’s considered that thoroughly cleaning and sweeping the homes brings good fortune for them. Breaking utensils and use of sharp objects are thought to be the contrary. It’s a holiday season and people flock to their homes from their jobs and universities to enjoy the fanfare with their family members. The trains and public transport facilities are packed in China during this season, as some people are returning homes, whereas some are just enjoying their long vacation doing some travelling. New Year’s Eve On New Year’s Eve, when the entire family and near ones are around, having delicious Chinese dishes together becomes a cherished moment. Chicken Lettuce Cups, Chinese Trinidadian Stir-Fried Shrimp with Rum, Jiaozi Dumplings, Cantonese Roast Duck, Rice Cakes, Sea food (including fish which is considered as auspicious and symbol of wealth) along with desserts and wines are the foods people enjoy together. Red is the color of festivity and prosperity in China and people wear red on this occasion. Children also participate in the practice of getting red envelopes from their elders. These envelopes are actually a monetary gift to the youngsters from the seniors of the family. Attractions of Spring Festival in Beijing You can participate in a popular fair called Ditan Temple Fair during Lunar New Year celebrations in Beijing. Ditan is the Chinese word for Temple of Earth. The fair commences from 5th Feb 2019. It is in Dongcheng District. Apart from it, you can also participate in Longtan Temple Fair and Dongyue Temple Fair. Temple fairs have a very old history in China and foreign tourists enjoy this cultural experience. It includes traditional folk performances such as dragon dance and lion dance. Traditional arts and crafts are displayed by the locals. Fun games, acrobatic shows and delicacies such as court dishes and Beijing snacks make these fairs a “must attend” event.
Symbols of Kwanzaa Explore the traditions and rituals followed by African families on Kwanzaa. Here are the details of the various symbols of Kwanzaa that marks the importance of this celebration. Each Kwanzaa symbol is imperative and denotes on unique feature of this festival. Symbols of Kwanzaa Mazao – (Crops which includes fruits, nuts and vegetables) It symbolizes the work and basis of holidays. Mazao signifies the foundation of Kwanzaa and marks the community of African people who celebrate this festival. It is believed that the unity, sharing and happiness are the results of collective work. The Africans believe that family is the center of social and economical base for developing any civilization. The festival of Kwanzaa was established to bring the bond between the families by corroborating their responsibilities and felling of commitment. In earlier times, the ancient African families did not care about the number of members in the family but, there was one leader who was the eldest male from the strongest group. This was the reason that the entire village was considered as one family. The features of any family followed same traditions and had common customary practices. All the families had one political view as; they descended from the same ancestors. Each tribe had fixed set of norms which safeguarded their identity and provided sustainability. The laws were based on the value system of traditions related to birth, adolescence, parenthood, marriage, maturity and death. Africans work very hard and believed in making their livelihood by growing plants and feeding animals. This is demonstrated through the celebrations on Kwanzaa with nuts, fruits, vegetables on the “Mkeka”. Mkeka – (Place mat) The mat is made of straw or cloth and symbolizes the culture, customs and history of Africa. It signifies the historical base present and future. It is believed that like today stands on yesterday similarly, the symbols stand on mkeka. The seven days of Kwanzaa people share, study, recall and reflect the history which is carried to create the future. The ancient families made mats which were made with straw. It is dried seams of grains which are sowed and reaped. Today, people get mkeka made from Kente cloth, African mud cloth and other fabrics. These are made and then mishumaa saba, the vibunzi, the mazao, the zawadi, the kikombe cha umoja, and the kinara are placed on it. Vibuzi – Ear of corn Fertility and reproduction of offspring is signified by the stalk of corn. The children are future of family and bring hope to life. Vibunzi is one ear and more than that it is called Mihindi. Each corn ear symbolizes one child of the family. On mkeka one ear is placed for each child. In some cases if, there are no kids at home then one pair of ear is placed on mkeka. Kwanzaa customs believe that love and care bestowed on people during childhood should be returned selflessly to all the other children. This is specially implied for the homeless and helpless ones. This enhances the good deeds of respect, positive thinking, discipline, compassion, charity, empathy and hope among the future of the community i.e. children. Each tribe in Africa is very protective about their children and works very hard towards their welfare. Mishumaa Saba – Seven candles Candles symbolize the power of Sun and are to illuminate. The group of 7 candles which are lit during Kwanzaa are traditionally named as, Mishumaa Saba. Red, black and green colored candles are used to light up the Kwanzaa period of seven days. Black candle represents Umoja which means unity. Three green ones are on the lfet side of black one. These signify Nia, Ujima and Imani which means Collective Work and Responsibility, Purpose and Faith. There are three red ones also which are for Kujichagulia, Ujamaa and Kuumba. These depict self determination, creativity and Cooperative economics. These candles are placed on one candle holder which is called “Kinara”. This stand is in different shapes and sizes and signifies the ancestry of the African tribes. Kikombe Cha Umoja – Unity cup The unity cup is kept to perform the ritual of ‘tambiko’ on the sixth day of Kwanzaa. This religious ceremony of Kwanzaa is performed by African communities, which is a ritual on the living dead. It is believed that the last portion of libation would take people nearer to spirits and ancestors. This libation could be made of water, juice or wine and is given by the eldest family member to all the younger ones. This is shared to promote unity and oneness. Zawadi – Gifts On the seventh day of Kwanzaa, people exchange gifts to promote success, growth and self determination in their community. Elders generally pass on gifts to children and this sharing takes place within immediate family members. Handmade gifts are more popular in the traditional families. People avoid buying things from stores and believe that personal gifts foster bond. The famous gifts are ‘kinaras’, dolls, cards and mkekas. Wish you all enjoy the festival and hope you gathered information on symbols of Kwanzaa.
Kwanzaa Songs Kwanzaa is an African festival, in which the Africans, residing in the USA celebrate their cultural heritage. This weeklong celebration starts from December 26 and continues until January 1. Kwanzaa songs are one of the major parts of the celebrations. They describe thee traditions and customs of the Africans. Given below are the popular songs of Kwanzaa: Traditional Kwanzaa Songs: Song 1: “Seven Days to Celebrate Kwanzaa Seven Days of the Ngoza Saba Seven Candles on the Kinara Seven Days to remember who we are African Americans Come together – Be as One Everyday in Every way Light the candles of our faith Kukaribisha Kwanzaa (Welcome) Kukumbuka Kwanzaa (Remembrance) Kushangilia Kwanzaa (Rejoicing) Come celebrate Kwanzaa Kwanzaa – the harvest first fruits It feeds the souls of our African Roots Kwanzaa – calling us home To embrace the past and to know our own Kukumbuka Kwanzaa, Kukumbuka Kwanzaa Kushangilia Kwanzaa, Kushangilia Kwanzaa Kukaribisha Kwanzaa, Kukaribisha Kwanzaa Come Celebrate Kwanzaa, Come Celebrate Kwanzaa. African Americans Come together – Be as One Everyday in Everyway Light the candles of our faith Kukaribisha Kwanzaa, Kukumbuka Kwanzaa Kukumbuka Kwanzaa, Kushangilia Kwanzaa Kushangilia Kwanzaa, Kukaribisha Kwanzaa Come Celebrate Kwanzaa, Come Celebrate Kwanzaa. Kukaribisha Kwanzaa (Welcome) Kukumbuka Kwanzaa (Remembrance) Kushangilia Kwanzaa (Rejoicing) Come celebrate Kwanzaa.” Song 2: “Chorus: Habari gani, Habari gani? What’s new, what’s happening? Kwanzaa is here! Habari gani, Habari gani? What’s new, what’s happening? Kwanzaa is here! From festivals of long ago, Habari gani? Comes this celebration. Kwanzaa is here! Families come together Habari gani? Talk about nguzo saba. Kwanzaa is here! Each night light a candle, Habari gani? On the kinara. Kwanzaa is here! When we work together, Habari gani? We can make our dreams come true. Kwanzaa is here!” Kwanzaa Songs for kids: Song 3: “Kwanzaa-Man! Kwanzaa-Man! Coming straight out of Africa Land Mishumaa Saba! I put those in my Kinara. Jambo! Here comes Kwanzaa Maaaaaaan! Corn and mats! Corn and mats! Kwanzaa uses corn and mats! Habari gani? Today’s the day of Imani! Mkeka, Muhindi, and Zawadi! Kikombe cha Umoja, filled up with fruit ambrosia. Dr. Maulauna Karenga. Creator of the Kwanzaa. Jambo! Here comes the Kwanzaa-Man! On “Jumapili” I’ll have a Kwanzaa party. Sunday night, don’t be late! You need not be black to celebrate! Twende! ‘Cause I bought way too much corn.” Short Kwanzaa Songs: Song 4: “Kwanzaa is a time to light A glowing candle every night A time to show How much we care A time to think about the past And values that we want to last” Song 5: “Red, green, black, Red, green, black. Kwanzaa’s here, Kwanzaa’s here. The decorations are quite a sight, We light a candle every night, The holiday is filled with light. Kwanzaa’s here.” Song 6: “One little, two little, three little candles four little, five little, six little candles seven little candles shine for Kwanzaa shining in the kinara three little red and three little green ones black in the middle shines a little taller shine little candles, shine for Kwanzaa shining in the kinara.” Song 7: “Seven days of Kwanzaa, seven days to celebrate Seven ways of Kwanzaa, seven reasons to celebrate Celebrate your history celebrate your family Honor creativity and celebrate with me Seven days of Kwanzaa, seven days to celebrate Seven ways of Kwanzaa, seven reasons to celebrate Kwanzaa, Kwanzaa, Kwanzaa.” Song 8: “Sing a song of Kwanzaa For seven nights long. Light a Kwanzaa candle As each night comes along. Celebrate first harvest And for unity. That’s the way to celebrate With friends and family!” Song 9: “The red candles shine. The red candles shine, When it’s time for Kwanzaa The red candles shine. The green candles shine. The green candles shine, When it’s time for Kwanzaa The green candles shine. The black candle shines. The black candle shines, When it’s time for Kwanzaa The black candle shines.”
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