Kwanzaa feast for eyes, ears served at museum

Pauline Kynard lights a candle in a kinara, or candleholder, during a 1999 Kwanzaa program.

Kwanzaa, the annual celebration of African harvest traditions, will be observed in programs scheduled for tonight and Sunday in the Toledo Museum of Art.

Tonight, the museum will sponsor a free guided family tour of its African Gallery at 6:30 conducted by Nadine Smith, community liaison for the art museum. Space is limited. Those planning to take the tour should meet in the first-floor lobby.

On Sunday, Ghanaian drummer and dancer Habib Iddrisu of Bowling Green will perform as part of the museum's free Winter Holiday Celebration. Mr. Iddrisu will perform from 1:30 to 2:15 p.m. and from 3:30 to 4:40 p.m. in the Great Gallery.

Information on both programs is available from the art museum, 419-255-8000.

Kwanzaa is a seven-day celebration that runs Dec. 26 through Jan. 1. It was created in 1966 by civil rights activist and educator Dr. Maulana Karenga as a way for African-Americans to recognize their African heritage.

Kwanzaa, a Swahili word that means “fresh fruits of the harvest,” is based on guiding principles celebrated each day: Umoja (unity), Kujichagulia (self-determination), Ujima (collective work and responsibility), Ujamaa (cooperative economics), Nia (purpose), Kuumba (creativity), and Imani (faith).

The celebration ends with a Karamu, the Swahili word for “the feast.”