One holiday tradition my mom always wanted to do with us but never did is celebrate Kwanzaa. She did educate me on what it is and what everything means, but we never got around to ever doing it. But now that I’m starting my own family, I wanted to do celebrate this year (even if Pre-K Kid won’t remember it lol) That way we’ll be ready to celebrate it the way we should when the Pre-K Kid is bigger.
So, for 2025 I decided to celebrate Kwanzaa through literature again. I’ll be listing the principles for each day along with a book that matches the principles. If you can think of other titles that match the principles, tell me, I’d love to discuss.
Day 7 is Imani. It means Faith. The process is much of the same, light the previous candles, and then light the last remaining green one until they’re all lit. The person who lights it then makes a statement about Faith. I read that it means to believe in our people and the righteousness and victory of our struggle.
For this year I’m going to believe in the community. The library needs y’all. Keep visiting, keep wracking up our numbers, and keep fighting for the right to read. We need your help to continue to fight the good fight against the people coming for the libraries. We haven’t realized yet that we are the community and we will fight to keep all of us and our patrons and friends protected.
The first book I thought of was Deadly Ever After. Why? Because the whole book was about them and their struggle to get home. The things they had to do and endure and learn was crazy. Because they did it. As much as they didn’t want to, they came together and made it so they could. I loved this book and the way they were problem solving on the fly was so impressive. There is no way I could have one all that they did. I’m sure they had to have faith in themselves and each other to ensure that they could get home.
What about you? What books do you think of when you think of Imani or Faith? Do you think of this one as well? Let me know in the comments!