Global Holiday Pageant: The Seventh Night of Kwanzaa

Holiday Feature

The Seventh Night
of Kwanzaa: Imani

On the seventh and final night of Kwanzaa, as on all other nights of the holiday, the celebration begins with the question Habari gani? Tonight's answer is Imani, or faith. The asking of the Kwanzaa question is followed by the pouring of libation from the kikombe cha umoja and the lighting of the candles of the kinara. Tonight the last candle, the green candle of Imani, is lighted. After the candles are lighted, thoughts turn to the spirits of those who represented the virtues of Imani in our communities.

Tonight is the night we celebrate the spirit of IMANI (faith).

Tonight and all other nights of the year, we celebrate the spirits of those who have gone before who represent the values of IMANI.

We celebrate the spirits of:
Amenhotep IV of Egypt
Agotime of Brazil
Bob Marley of Jamaica
Ben Ali Mohamet of the United States
(your family selection[s])

and all those who kept their bright light of faith burning despite obstacles and odds that would have driven lesser beings to give up, give in, and give over.

Tonight and all nights, we celebrate the spirits of all of those who are here with us.

Tonight and all nights, we celebrate the spirits of those who are yet to come.

On this, the final night of Kwanzaa, we dedicate ourselves to uphold the values of IMANI and all of the principles of the Nguzo Saba. In the year that has just come in, we will have faith in the future, faith in our people, and faith in ourselves, that we may work to create a better world

This passage has been provided as an inspirational guide for our readers from:

A Kwanzaa Keepsake
By Jessica B. Harris
Reprinted by permission of Simon & Schuster, Inc.