in fact, my only reasons for celebrating the worship of the annus (the latin one, not the butthole) on the 1st of january are similar to why i exchanged gifts on the 25th of December: i'm always up for celebration.
after choosing kwanzaa over christmas this year, it's become clear to me that baby jeez--if he was the guy that many say he was--probably would prefer kwanzaa over his birthday party. i'm going to share with you the seven days of kwanzaa because it is truly a wondrous holiday, perhaps you can celebrate it in your own way, as i did.
day 1, Umoja. directly translated to the word for unity, Umoja commemorates the effort we all put in to maintain togetherness in the many communities to which we belong.
us eating christmas dinner leftovers, unity absolutely necessary to get rid of them.
day 2, Kujichagulia. a much tougher translation into english, most commonly you can read about it as the acknowledgement of self-determination, our abilities to create from within and share those creations with the rest of the world.
photograph obviously not by me. this is actually my self-determination to be as naked as possible at all times.
day 3, Ujima. also known as responsibility to the people and places that have raised and shaped our individualities.
grandma joined the ranks of the octogenarians, i can only hope to be as lively as she is at 80.
day 4, Ujamaa. building a self-sustaining environment. i take special effort to avoid the word economy.
what's more self-sustaining than chickens, eating chicken?
day 5, Nia. briefly put, nia is purpose, whether it be predetermined or self-determined.
day 6, Kuumba. gratitude for creativity, to the arts, to the aesthetic.
photographing these guys at the North Shore was awe-inspiring. he asked me to email him this one, i was flattered.
day 7, Imani. the meaning is faith, not necessarily for a higher power, but faith in others. the stretch for righteousness, whatever that might mean to you.
something i no longer have faith in: my brothers ever taking a nice picture with me.
in all seriousness though, i couldn't be more grateful for the people that have been gifted to me by the fates. and in this new year, i can only hope to learn more deeply of those already in my life as well as those not yet in it.
