Kwanzaa Hanukkah

Honoring cultural tradition, affirming shared values, and weaving Scripture with care.

A Gentle Word Before We Begin:

There was a time when I didn’t know what Kwanzaa was. And if I’m honest, there were years when the Christian church around me misunderstood it—labeling it as something it was never meant to be.

Kwanzaa is not a religion. It does not replace faith. It does not compete with Christ. It is an intentional celebration of values—principles that strengthen family, community, character, and responsibility.

Kwanzaa was established in 1966 by Dr. Maulana Karenga, in the aftermath of the Watts uprising, to reaffirm African American cultural identity and restore community-centered values rooted in family, culture, and collective responsibility.

Scripture tells us that “the law is fulfilled in one word: love” (Galatians 5:14), and that “against such things there is no law” (Galatians 5:23). When values cultivate love of God and neighbor, they deserve reflection—not fear.

This study honors the Nguzo Saba (the Seven Principles of Kwanzaa) with respect, while gently weaving Scripture for those who follow Jesus and recognize His fingerprints in every good and life-giving value.

The traditional greeting for Kwanzaa is:

“Habari Gani?”

(hah-BAH-ree GAH-nee)

It’s Swahili and means:
“What’s the news?” or “What’s happening?”

When someone says: Habari Gani? Your response is the principle of the day:

Day 1 – Umoja (Unity)

Unity is not sameness; it is commitment. It is choosing one another again and again—especially when it would be easier to withdraw. Umoja reminds us that fractured families and divided communities heal when we decide to stand together.

Scripture Reflection:
“How good and pleasant it is when God’s people live together in unity.” – Psalm 133:1

Prayer Thought:
Lord, teach us how to guard unity without erasing truth, and to love without condition.

Day 2 – Kujichagulia (Self-Determination)

Kujichagulia is about reclaiming voice and agency. It is refusing to let others define our worth or our future. In Christ, we are not mislabeled—we are named.

Scripture Reflection:
“You are a chosen people…” – 1 Peter 2:9

Prayer Thought:
God, help us walk boldly in who You created us to be.

Day 3 – Ujima (Collective Work & Responsibility)

Ujima reminds us that community is not a spectator sport. We are responsible for one another—not out of obligation, but out of love.

Scripture Reflection:
“Carry each other’s burdens…” – Galatians 6:2

Prayer Thought:
Jesus, make us aware of where we can show up with presence.

Day 4 – Ujamaa (Cooperative Economics)

Ujamaa calls us to steward resources with communal care. Where we invest reflects what we value.

Scripture Reflection:
“Each of you should use whatever gift you have received…” – 1 Peter 4:10

Prayer Thought:
Lord, teach us to circulate generosity.

Day 5 – Nia (Purpose)

Purpose is not always loud. Sometimes, it is faithful consistency. Our lives are not random.

Scripture Reflection:
“For we are God’s handiwork…” – Ephesians 2:10

Prayer Thought:
God, align our gifts with the needs around us.

Day 6 – Kuumba (Creativity)

Creativity is holy work. Kuumba calls us to leave what we touch more beautiful.

Scripture Reflection:
“See, I am doing a new thing…” – Isaiah 43:19

Prayer Thought:
Creator God, let us partner with You.

Day 7 – Imani (Faith)

Imani is faith with memory. For believers, it ultimately rests in God.

Scripture Reflection:
“Now faith is confidence in what we hope for…” – Hebrews 11:1

Prayer Thought:
Lord, anchor our faith for generations to come.

So, if you have learned something today, then I have done my job for today. If nothing else, please know that Kwanzaa does not ask us to abandon faith. It invites us to practice values—many of which Scripture has been teaching all along. Unity. Responsibility. Purpose. Creativity. Faith. Against these, there is no law—only love.

Habari Gani?

Love, Chelle

I’ve always told people this—and I’ll keep telling it until somebody takes my peppermint tea away:

Christmas, Hanukkah, and Kwanzaa do not cancel each other out.
They don’t compete.
They don’t substitute.
They don’t need a theological cage match.
They simply tell different parts of the human story.

Christmas celebrates His birth—God choosing skin and breath and inconvenience

Hanukkah reminds us of tradition, remembrance, and light that refused to go out, even when logic said it should.

Kwanzaa lifts up principles that look suspiciously Christ-like—unity, purpose, responsibility, faith lived out loud.

Different languages.
Same longing for light.

In Hanukkah, there is a center candle called the shamash—the servant candle.
It’s set apart.
It’s lit first.
And it doesn’t shine for itself.
Its whole purpose is to light all the others.

That image has always stayed with me. Because in Christianity, that’s Jesus.
He didn’t arrive demanding attention.
He didn’t come to be admired from a distance.
He came to serve, to ignite, to give light away—even when it cost Him everything.
Jesus is the Servant Candle.
Lifted up not for status, but for sacrifice.
Set apart not for glory, but for love.

Kwanzaa, too, places a center candle—the black candle—knowing who the people are, grounding everything else in identity and purpose. Not a servant candle, but a reminder that light means little if you forget who you are while holding it.

Different meanings.
Same truth: light is meant to be shared.

This conviction was born years ago when a young friend looked at me like I’d grown a second head because I knew what the symbols on a dreidel meant. He had just given it to me—a gift from a Jewish friend—and suddenly panic set in.
“Is that… disrespectful to your Christian beliefs?”

I smiled. Because fear usually shows up when faith hasn’t been fully introduced to trust yet.
Accepting that gift didn’t weaken my faith.
It revealed it.

Jesus never seemed nervous around other people’s traditions.
He showed up where He was invited.
He honored faith wherever He found it.
He let light come from unexpected places.

And if I’m honest—any faith that collapses because it encountered someone else’s story probably needed better roots.

This is the Scripture I come back to when the debates get loud and the lines get drawn too tight:
“The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.”
— John 1:5
Notice it doesn’t say whose darkness.
Or which calendar.
Or what kind of candle.
It just says light still works.

And if a tradition, a candle, or a principle reminds us to live more faithfully, love more generously, or serve more humbly—then maybe the question isn’t “Is this disrespectful?:
Maybe the better question is:
“Did the light reach you?

Because when it does, you don’t argue about the source.
You’re just grateful you can see.

Love Chelle

Tag: Kwanzaa Hanukkah

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