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The Music Masters Ensemble presented their Music Masters Showcase in the afternoon of December 18th at Whitewater High School under the direction of Karen Tordera. The event was very well-attended. Students sang ensemble pieces as well as solos and small-group songs.  Photos are courtesy of Tom Ganser.

Kwanzaa is celebrated from December 26 to January 1 each year.

[From Wikipedia) American Maulana Karenga created Kwanzaa in 1966 during the aftermath of the Watts riots^[2] as a specifically African-American holiday.^[3][4] Karenga said his goal was to “give blacks an alternative to the existing holiday of Christmas and give blacks an opportunity to celebrate themselves and their history, rather than simply imitate the practice of the dominant society.”^[5] For Karenga, a major figure in the Black Power movement of the 1960s and 1970s, the creation of such holidays also underscored the essential premise that “you must have a cultural revolution before the violent revolution. The cultural revolution gives identity, purpose, and direction.”^[6]

According to Karenga, the name Kwanzaa derives from the Swahili phrase matunda ya kwanza, meaning “first fruits”.^[7] First fruits festivals exist in Southern Africa, celebrated in December/January with the southern solstice, and Karenga was partly inspired by an account he read of the Zulu festival Umkhosi Wokweshwama.^[8] It was decided to spell the holiday’s name with an additional “a” so that it would have a symbolic seven letters.^[9]

During the early years of Kwanzaa, Karenga said it was meant to be an alternative to Christmas. He believed Jesus was psychotic and Christianity was a “White” religion that Black people should shun.^[10] As Kwanzaa gained mainstream adherents, Karenga altered his position so practicing Christians would not be alienated, stating in the 1997 book Kwanzaa: A Celebration of Family, Community, and Culture that “Kwanzaa was not created to give people an alternative to their own religion or religious holiday.”^[11] Many African Americans who celebrate Kwanzaa do so in addition to observing Christmas.^[12]

After its initial creation in California, Kwanzaa spread outside the United States.^[13]

Kwanzaa celebrates what its founder called the seven principles of Kwanzaa, or Nguzo Saba (originally Nguzu Saba – the seven principles of African Heritage). They were developed in 1965, a year before Kwanzaa itself. These seven principles comprise Kawaida, a Swahili word meaning “common”.

Each of the seven days of Kwanzaa is dedicated to one of the principles, as follows:^[14]

1. Umoja (Unity): To strive for and to maintain unity in the family, community, nation, and race.
2. Kujichagulia (Self-Determination): To define and name ourselves, as well as to create and speak for ourselves.
3. Ujima (Collective Work and Responsibility): To build and maintain our community together and make our brothers’ and sisters’ problems our problems and to solve them together.
4. Ujamaa (Cooperative economics): To build and maintain our own stores, shops, and other businesses and to profit from them together.
5. Nia (Purpose): To make our collective vocation the building and developing of our community in order to restore our people to their traditional greatness.
6. Kuumba (Creativity): To do always as much as we can, in the way we can, in order to leave our community more beautiful and beneficial than we inherited it.
7. Imani (Faith): To believe with all our hearts in our people, our parents, our teachers, our leaders, and the righteousness and victory of our struggle.

The Postal Service’s next holiday will be on Monday, January 2, 2023, when the New Year’s holiday will be observed.

 
Editor’s note: The following press release was received from Fort HealthCare.

On Tuesday, December 6, community members celebrated the 2022 Tree Lighting Ceremony at the Fort Memorial Hospital. The trees were covered in white lights to celebrate loved ones who have passed and colored lights to honor special persons. By charging $2 per light, the Love Light Tree has been raising money since 1985 to purchase new equipment, education, and services for the surrounding communities of Fort HealthCare.

Fort HealthCare Partners raised over $13,000 this year from Love Light purchases and donations. Funds raised during the 2022 Love Lights Campaign will be used to subsidize the cost of the CareLine service for those who cannot afford it. CareLine is a medical personal emergency response system that allows subscribers to get emergency help anytime with the push of a button. The system gives peace of mind to the subscriber and their family. Additionally, funds will be used to provide scholarships for students pursuing a degree in healthcare.

Fort HealthCare Partners are thankful for the sponsors and donors who made this year’s Love Lights campaign possible. A booklet with the list of sponsors and donors is available to view and print online at FortHealthCare.com/LoveLights. If you would like a physical copy of the donor booklet, please call Fort HealthCare volunteer services at (920) 568-5276. Donations received after December 12th will not be listed in the booklet. If you would still like to donate, please go to https://www.forthealthcare.com/ways-give/lovelights/.

Joy to the world! Wishing you a peaceful and pleasant day. Thanks for reading the Banner.

Editor’s note: The Banner appreciates having permission to use the above image by Gerd Altmann from Pixabay.

MADISON — Gov. Tony Evers and First Lady Kathy Evers today shared a video message with Wisconsinites detailing the 2022 Executive Residence holiday decorations honoring fallen heroes and veterans and celebrating local area businesses and producers, advocacy organizations, kids and schools, and the state’s vast and valuable freshwater resources. A virtual tour of the Residence decorations with the governor and first lady is available here.      “From the annual Tribute to Our Troops Tree to our efforts to raise awareness around Alzheimer’s disease and dementia to this year’s Capitol Holiday Tree theme, ‘Wisconsin Waters,’ the Residence staff, community partners, and volunteers always go above and beyond to decorate for the holidays, and this year was no different,” said Gov. Evers. “We are also grateful to everyone who contributed to our book drive for kids and holiday food drive to help families in need this holiday season, as well as all the dedicated docents that have volunteered to help guide hundreds of visitors on tours of the Residence to showcase the amazing holiday decorations.”   “This year’s holiday displays are outstanding, and we are so glad to be able to once again welcome folks back for tours at the Residence to see these decorations in person,” said First Lady Evers. “Great thought and consideration go into these decorations each year, which is why we are thrilled to be able to share them with Wisconsinites from all over.”      Featured throughout the Residence are holiday displays from businesses across Wisconsin. This year, on display at the front gates are two wreaths donated by the winners of the 2022 Wisconsin Christmas Tree Producers Association Wreath Contest. This year’s winning wreaths are from the 4 Mile Tree Farm in Oconomowoc. For the front steps of the Residence, porch pots and a front door wreath were created by Olbrich Botanical Gardens using plants native to Wisconsin. As guests enter the Residence, they are greeted with trees decorated by Orange Tree Imports in Madison. True to their name, the trees are decorated with oranges, which have been symbolic of the holiday season for decades. Moving further into the Residence, Jada’s Garden and Greenhouse of Blue Mounds, along with volunteers and board members from the Wisconsin Executive Residence Foundation, donated their time and talent to decorate the foyer and the dining room. These decorations include boxwood garlands, wreaths, and various goods from Jada’s Garden.    Each year, the governor and first lady decorate one room at the Residence in honor of the six million Americans and more than 120,000 Wisconsinites living with Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias and the countless caregivers who provide them care, and to instill hope for finding the first survivor of Alzheimer’s disease. This year, the tree is adorned with photographs of residents from Vista West senior living community in Madison and ornaments made by individuals with dementia who have visited the Residence throughout the year. Additionally, the artwork in the drawing room was made by individuals with dementia. In their video message, the governor and first lady thanked the staff from Vista West and the Wisconsin Chapter of the Alzheimer’s Association for their partnership in decorating the drawing room and for their daily work serving individuals with dementia and their families.    Also, an annual tradition at the Residence is the Tribute to Our Troops Tree. A tradition that began in 2005 with Gov. Jim Doyle, this tree honors service members who have served or are currently serving in the U.S. Armed Forces. The tree is decorated with red, white, and blue lights and ornaments and showcases ornaments and quilts that represent each major branch of the military, as well as a variety of ornaments sent in by military families. This year, the tree was decorated not only by members of the Wisconsin National Guard but also by family members of long-time volunteer and a founding organizer of the Tribute to Our Troops Tree, Linda Hughes. Linda passed away earlier this year and her family continues this tradition in her honor. In their video message, the governor and first lady shared their thanks to Linda for her many years of service. They also expressed gratitude to active-duty service members, veterans, military families, and fallen heroes for their service and sacrifices.  Featured in the library is a book tree to support the first lady’s annual holiday book drive. Visitors to the Residence are encouraged to bring a new or gently used children’s book to help fill the tree, and through a partnership with the Mystery to Me bookstore in Madison and Reach Out and Read Wisconsin, the books will be donated and distributed at pediatrician offices around the state for kids to enjoy. Additionally, new to the library this year is a collection of American Girl dolls provided by American Girl, which was founded in Middleton in 1986. The dolls are dressed in garments that showcase the diverse and beautiful cultural celebrations families across Wisconsin celebrate each year, including Diwali, Lunar New Year, Eid al-Fitr, Kwanzaa, Hanukkah, Día de los Muertos, Christmas, and St. Lucia’s Day.      Finally, much like the holiday tree at the Wisconsin State Capitol this year, the sunroom at the Residence is decorated to celebrate the theme “Wisconsin Waters.” Decorations for this room, which include a mural depicting a snowy river scene, were provided by The Rock River Coalition and Lowell Elementary School. Fish ornaments for the trees were decorated and provided by St. Charles Borromeo School. While tours for the holidays have concluded, free, in-person tours of the Wisconsin Executive Residence will resume again in late spring.