Our mission is to travel to South Africa in attempts to share the love our father has put into our hearts. We will work with orphans and Aids victims through a wonderful center called Ithemba. Here we will be able to connect with the kids and show them they have not been forgotten. We will spend our days playing with them and loving them just like Jesus has taught us too. We will also be working to film some of the devastation and poverty left from the Apartheid in South Africa, as well as the rising AIDS epidemic throughout Africa so that we can be the voice of a people who have been silenced for far too long.
If you would like to help us by donating from what God has blessed you with, click on the "donate" link under the video to the right of the page. From there you will find out the many ways you can help support our trip and the kids at Ithemba.
I thank all of you for your interest in this cause and I pray that God burdens your heart for the plight of these children of God.
In Him, Michael Tyree
Sunday, December 12, 2010
Assignment #4 - December 11, 2010
How does Christmas in Africa differ from Christmas in Tn. What is Kwanzaa and what are the cultural roots/significances of it?
Firstly, Christmas in Africa is a summer holiday. In Egypt and Ethiopia, the Coptic Christians celebrate Christmas on January 7th. When people can afford it, gift giving does take place, though its not nearly as commercial as in Europe and America. Like in TN, there is caroling, large dinners, and special church services with the communities but there are no traditional evergreen Christmas trees. Some decorate mago trees or some other native tree with candles and other things.
Kwanzaa (derived from the Swahili phrase matunda ya kwanza, meaning first fruits of the harvest) is a weeklong celebration in America for African heritage and culture. It is celebrated from December 26 to January 1. It was created by Maulana Karenga in 1966 as an alternative for blacks from the "imitate the practice of the dominant society." Its roots lie in the black nationalist movement of the '60s to help the black community to reconnect with there heritage. Initially, Karenga intended Kwanzaa to be a replacement for Christmas, saying that it was a white religion and that Jesus was "psychotic." However, as it gained mainstream recognition, he altered his intentions ans said that "Kwanzaa was not created to give people an alternative to their own religion or religious holiday."
Christmas in both places is celebrated on the same day, December 25th, which means it is a winter holiday in tennessee, and a summer holiday in Africa. On Christmas day carols are sung all throughout Africa. Meats are roasted, gifts are exchanged in wealthy areas, and family visits made. The Coptic Christians in Ethiopia and Egypt celebrate Christmas on January 7th, which is December 25th on their calendar.
Kwanzaa is an American holiday, celebrating African culture and heritage. It is celebrated between December 26th and January 1st every year. It was created by Ron Karenga and was first celebrated from December 26, 1966 to January 1, 1967. Kwanzaa has its roots in the black nationalist movement in the 1960's, and was established to help African Americans reconnect with their African Culture. Many Christian African Americans celebrate both Christmas and Kwanzaa.
Christmas in Africa is mostly celebrated by Christians. This differs from America because most Americans celebrate Christmas regardless of their religious affiliation. It is a tradition in Africa for many groups to sing Christmas carols on Christmas Day. Apparently just like in America, Africans exchange gifts and visit family during the holidys. Obviously, gift-giving is not as big a deal in Africa because some of the countries aren't as industrialized as America. Most Africans celebrate Christmas on December 25th like Americans, but Coptic Christians in Ethiopia and Egypt celebrate Christmas on January 7th. Unlike in America, the emphasis on Christmas is more towards celebrating Jesus' birth and not on gift giving. The most commons gift in Africa is a new set of clothes to wear to church. In East Africa, many families roast goats on Christmas Day. Kwanzaa is a week-long celebration held in the United States that honors universal African heritage and culture. It is held from December 26 until January 1 of each year. Some of its activities include lighting of the kinara, feasts, and gift giving. It was created by Maulana Karenga in 1966. Kwanzaa was created as the first specific African American holiday. Kwanzaa is a swahili word which means "first fruits of the harvest". Kwanzaa began with the black Nationalist movement in the 1960s. The goal of Kwanzaa was help to help African Americans reconnect with and celebrate their African heritage. Many black Christians also celebrate Christmas with Kwanzaa.
Christmas is celebrated on December 25th both here in Nasvhille and Africa. In Africa they roast meats, sing carols, visit family memebers and trade gifts with each other. Although, their Christmas is not nearly as commercial as ours is. They have a more religious centered Christmas than most of those in the United States, mainly focusing on the birth of Jesus. Since many people there are poorer they give gifs such as new church clothes, school books, soap, ect.
Kwanzaa is celebrated on December 26th-January 1st. It is an African-American based holiday. It was developed by Dr. Maulana Ron Karenga. It gives people the chance to embrace their history and culture. The seven days each have a specific theme tied to them. They are unity, self-demermination, collective work and responsibility, cooperative economics, purpose, creativity, and faith.
First off, Christmas in the states is celebrated on the 25th of December. Because of calender differences though this converts into the 7th of January in Africa. Some traditions remain the same in both countries. For example, it is treated like a celebration therefore there are big meals and decorations as well as caroling and church services. A big difference however is that here in the U.S. Christmas has become a holiday directed towards the commercial aspect of buying buying buying. In Africa it appears that it is more of a celebration of Jesus than anything else. Their traditions reflect this belief.
Kwanzaa is an African and Pan-African holiday. It is celebrated December 26th through January 1st. It is also known as the "First Fruits" Celebration. Kwanzaa builds on the five fundamental activities of Continental African "first fruit" celebrations: ingathering; reverence; commemoration; recommitment; and celebration. Kwanzaa was also created to introduce and reinforce seven basic values of African culture which contribute to building and reinforcing family, community and culture among African American people as well as Africans throughout the world African community.
There are many communities in South Africa that celebrate Christmas. on Christmas day, people sing carols, meat is roasted, gifts are recieved and given, and people meet with their families. The Coptic Christians in Ethiopia and Egypt celebrate Christmas on the 25, which is on January 7 for the rest of the world. Even in some Muslim countries, Christmas is still celebrated. The emphasis on Christmas is more religious than anything. The main gift given are new clothes for church service. For dinner, most people have goat, and a lot of them are down at the beach. For us in the states, christmas is celebrated on the 25 of December. people give anything for christmas, and not just a new pair of clothes for church service. For dinner, most families are together, eating a big christmas dinner.
Kwanzaa is not celebrated in South Africa. It is an African- American holiday. It is celebrated between Christmas and New Years, specifically December 26-January 1. It is a week long celebration in the states honoring universal African heritage and culture. Kwanzaa was invented in 1966. A normal Kwanzaa celebration is family gathering each night of the holiday. The main activity would be lighting a candle for that day's principle in the kinara, a seven-branched candelabra.
Christmas in Africa is celebrated just like it is here in America; however, it is cold here in Tennessee and it is summertime in Africa. The Coptic Christians in Ethiopia celebrate it on January 7th which on our calender is December 25th. Africa has most of the same traditions that we do here. We both sing Christmas carols, spend time with family, and eat a lot, but we don't celebrate it as seriously as they do. Their focus is more on the birth of Jesus and our focus is more on the gifts we have.
Kwanzaa is an American holiday, celebrating African culture and heritage. It is celebrated between December 26th and January 1st every year. It was started by Dr. Maulana Ron Karenga. Kwanzaa is also know as "first fruits of the harvest". Kwanzaa began with the black Nationalist movement in 1960. It was known for the first important holiday in Africa. Many African Americans that are Christians celebrate Christmas and Kwanzaa today.
christmas in africa is celebrated by christians all over the continent. some choose to sing carols on christmas day. they cook food and exchange gifts. alot like what we do here in america but i am sure the gifts shared there are nothing like the gifts we share here unfortunately. also families travel to see other family members. this also happens for the vast majority of americans. in this culture, money is not really there. at all. so the gifts, decorations, and anything else they use, is going to be nothing like here in america. this actually really makes me think that they understand more about christmas than we do. since theres no money to spend they have more opporitunaties to focus on the real meaning, instead of the greediness that our culture puts into christmas.
kwanzaa is observed on the date december 26th through january 1st. this holiday honors the african culture and heritage. the holiday was created by Maulana Karenga in 1966. the goal of creating this holiday was to give blacks the opporitunaty to celebrate their history. in the early years when the celebration was started, Karenga said it was suppossed to be an alterntive to christmas, that jesus was a psyco, and that all black people should shun the white people that celebrated it. yet many christian african americans who decide to celebrate kwanzaa do it in addition to celebrating christmas.
Christmas has many similarities and differences between our culture and that of South Africa. Many of the traditions are the same involving lots of family time and a large feast. The families that can afford a Christmas tree and stockings decorate their homes with those traditional decorations. The families that cannot afford such luxuries decorate in whatever way they can. In south Africa Santa is known as Father Christmas, but he fulfills basically the same role. Since the people of South Africa are not as wealthy as Americans, the holiday is much less consumer based. The emphasis is more focused on the birth of Jesus, and spending quality time with the family than purchasing the best gifts.
Kwanzaa is an ethnic holiday created by Maulana Karenga to try and revitalize African-American culture in the United States. The first celebration of Kwanzaa was held between December 26, 1966, and January 1, 1967. Estimates range from 5 to 30 million americans that celebrate Kwanzaa every year. It is celebrated by lighting the one candle on the kinara each day of Kwanzaa. Each candle represents a different principle of blackness. The principles focus on family, togetherness, and African Culture. It is celebrated alongside Christmas by many African-American Christians. Kwanzaa is almost entirely celebrated within the United States.
Firstly, Christmas in Africa is a summer holiday. In Egypt and Ethiopia, the Coptic Christians celebrate Christmas on January 7th. When people can afford it, gift giving does take place, though its not nearly as commercial as in Europe and America. Like in TN, there is caroling, large dinners, and special church services with the communities but there are no traditional evergreen Christmas trees. Some decorate mago trees or some other native tree with candles and other things.
ReplyDeleteKwanzaa (derived from the Swahili phrase matunda ya kwanza, meaning first fruits of the harvest) is a weeklong celebration in America for African heritage and culture. It is celebrated from December 26 to January 1. It was created by Maulana Karenga in 1966 as an alternative for blacks from the "imitate the practice of the dominant society." Its roots lie in the black nationalist movement of the '60s to help the black community to reconnect with there heritage. Initially, Karenga intended Kwanzaa to be a replacement for Christmas, saying that it was a white religion and that Jesus was "psychotic." However, as it gained mainstream recognition, he altered his intentions ans said that "Kwanzaa was not created to give people an alternative to their own religion or religious holiday."
Christmas in both places is celebrated on the same day, December 25th, which means it is a winter holiday in tennessee, and a summer holiday in Africa. On Christmas day carols are sung all throughout Africa. Meats are roasted, gifts are exchanged in wealthy areas, and family visits made. The Coptic Christians in Ethiopia and Egypt celebrate Christmas on January 7th, which is December 25th on their calendar.
ReplyDeleteKwanzaa is an American holiday, celebrating African culture and heritage. It is celebrated between December 26th and January 1st every year. It was created by Ron Karenga and was first celebrated from December 26, 1966 to January 1, 1967. Kwanzaa has its roots in the black nationalist movement in the 1960's, and was established to help African Americans reconnect with their African Culture. Many Christian African Americans celebrate both Christmas and Kwanzaa.
Christmas in Africa is mostly celebrated by Christians. This differs from America because most Americans celebrate Christmas regardless of their religious affiliation. It is a tradition in Africa for many groups to sing Christmas carols on Christmas Day. Apparently just like in America, Africans exchange gifts and visit family during the holidys. Obviously, gift-giving is not as big a deal in Africa because some of the countries aren't as industrialized as America. Most Africans celebrate Christmas on December 25th like Americans, but Coptic Christians in Ethiopia and Egypt celebrate Christmas on January 7th. Unlike in America, the emphasis on Christmas is more towards celebrating Jesus' birth and not on gift giving. The most commons gift in Africa is a new set of clothes to wear to church. In East Africa, many families roast goats on Christmas Day.
ReplyDeleteKwanzaa is a week-long celebration held in the United States that honors universal African heritage and culture. It is held from December 26 until January 1 of each year. Some of its activities include lighting of the kinara, feasts, and gift giving. It was created by Maulana Karenga in 1966. Kwanzaa was created as the first specific African American holiday. Kwanzaa is a swahili word which means "first fruits of the harvest". Kwanzaa began with the black Nationalist movement in the 1960s. The goal of Kwanzaa was help to help African Americans reconnect with and celebrate their African heritage. Many black Christians also celebrate Christmas with Kwanzaa.
Christmas is celebrated on December 25th both here in Nasvhille and Africa. In Africa they roast meats, sing carols, visit family memebers and trade gifts with each other. Although, their Christmas is not nearly as commercial as ours is. They have a more religious centered Christmas than most of those in the United States, mainly focusing on the birth of Jesus. Since many people there are poorer they give gifs such as new church clothes, school books, soap, ect.
ReplyDeleteKwanzaa is celebrated on December 26th-January 1st. It is an African-American based holiday. It was developed by Dr. Maulana Ron Karenga. It gives people the chance to embrace their history and culture. The seven days each have a specific theme tied to them. They are unity, self-demermination, collective work and responsibility, cooperative economics, purpose, creativity, and faith.
First off, Christmas in the states is celebrated on the 25th of December. Because of calender differences though this converts into the 7th of January in Africa. Some traditions remain the same in both countries. For example, it is treated like a celebration therefore there are big meals and decorations as well as caroling and church services. A big difference however is that here in the U.S. Christmas has become a holiday directed towards the commercial aspect of buying buying buying. In Africa it appears that it is more of a celebration of Jesus than anything else. Their traditions reflect this belief.
ReplyDeleteKwanzaa is an African and Pan-African holiday. It is celebrated December 26th through January 1st. It is also known as the "First Fruits" Celebration. Kwanzaa builds on the five fundamental activities of Continental African "first fruit" celebrations: ingathering; reverence; commemoration; recommitment; and celebration. Kwanzaa was also created to introduce and reinforce seven basic values of African culture which contribute to building and reinforcing family, community and culture among African American people as well as Africans throughout the world African community.
There are many communities in South Africa that celebrate Christmas. on Christmas day, people sing carols, meat is roasted, gifts are recieved and given, and people meet with their families. The Coptic Christians in Ethiopia and Egypt celebrate Christmas on the 25, which is on January 7 for the rest of the world. Even in some Muslim countries, Christmas is still celebrated. The emphasis on Christmas is more religious than anything. The main gift given are new clothes for church service. For dinner, most people have goat, and a lot of them are down at the beach.
ReplyDeleteFor us in the states, christmas is celebrated on the 25 of December. people give anything for christmas, and not just a new pair of clothes for church service. For dinner, most families are together, eating a big christmas dinner.
Kwanzaa is not celebrated in South Africa. It is an African- American holiday. It is celebrated between Christmas and New Years, specifically December 26-January 1. It is a week long celebration in the states honoring universal African heritage and culture. Kwanzaa was invented in 1966. A normal Kwanzaa celebration is family gathering each night of the holiday. The main activity would be lighting a candle for that day's principle in the kinara, a seven-branched candelabra.
Christmas in Africa is celebrated just like it is here in America; however, it is cold here in Tennessee and it is summertime in Africa. The Coptic Christians in Ethiopia celebrate it on January 7th which on our calender is December 25th. Africa has most of the same traditions that we do here. We both sing Christmas carols, spend time with family, and eat a lot, but we don't celebrate it as seriously as they do. Their focus is more on the birth of Jesus and our focus is more on the gifts we have.
ReplyDeleteKwanzaa is an American holiday, celebrating African culture and heritage. It is celebrated between December 26th and January 1st every year. It was started by Dr. Maulana Ron Karenga. Kwanzaa is also know as "first fruits of the harvest". Kwanzaa began with the black Nationalist movement in 1960. It was known for the first important holiday in Africa. Many African Americans that are Christians celebrate Christmas and Kwanzaa today.
christmas in africa is celebrated by christians all over the continent. some choose to sing carols on christmas day. they cook food and exchange gifts. alot like what we do here in america but i am sure the gifts shared there are nothing like the gifts we share here unfortunately. also families travel to see other family members. this also happens for the vast majority of americans. in this culture, money is not really there. at all. so the gifts, decorations, and anything else they use, is going to be nothing like here in america. this actually really makes me think that they understand more about christmas than we do. since theres no money to spend they have more opporitunaties to focus on the real meaning, instead of the greediness that our culture puts into christmas.
ReplyDeletekwanzaa is observed on the date december 26th through january 1st. this holiday honors the african culture and heritage. the holiday was created by Maulana Karenga in 1966. the goal of creating this holiday was to give blacks the opporitunaty to celebrate their history. in the early years when the celebration was started, Karenga said it was suppossed to be an alterntive to christmas, that jesus was a psyco, and that all black people should shun the white people that celebrated it. yet many christian african americans who decide to celebrate kwanzaa do it in addition to celebrating christmas.
Christmas has many similarities and differences between our culture and that of South Africa. Many of the traditions are the same involving lots of family time and a large feast. The families that can afford a Christmas tree and stockings decorate their homes with those traditional decorations. The families that cannot afford such luxuries decorate in whatever way they can. In south Africa Santa is known as Father Christmas, but he fulfills basically the same role. Since the people of South Africa are not as wealthy as Americans, the holiday is much less consumer based. The emphasis is more focused on the birth of Jesus, and spending quality time with the family than purchasing the best gifts.
ReplyDeleteKwanzaa is an ethnic holiday created by Maulana Karenga to try and revitalize African-American culture in the United States. The first celebration of Kwanzaa was held between December 26, 1966, and January 1, 1967. Estimates range from 5 to 30 million americans that celebrate Kwanzaa every year. It is celebrated by lighting the one candle on the kinara each day of Kwanzaa. Each candle represents a different principle of blackness. The principles focus on family, togetherness, and African Culture. It is celebrated alongside Christmas by many African-American Christians. Kwanzaa is almost entirely celebrated within the United States.