Brooklyn Children’s Museum celebrates 18 years of Kwanzaa

CROWN HEIGHTS — THE BROOKLYN CHILDREN’S MUSEUM WILL MARK 18 YEARS OF CELEBRATING ITS FIVE-DAY KWANZAA FESTIVAL.

Titled “Celebrate Kwanzaa,” the festival is presented with Asase Yaa Cultural Arts Foundation, a Brooklyn-based nonprofit committed to educating, uplifting and immersing the community in African arts.

A secular holiday celebrating African and African-American heritage, culture and ancestry, Kwanzaa is observed through daily candle lighting, family and communal gatherings, traditional feasts and the sharing of music, poetry and stories that honor the seven principles of the holiday, which include: unity, creativity, collective work and responsibility and purpose.

Attendees will participate in workshops and experience engaging performances that include Afrobeat, Dancehall and Soca dance workshops; a Djembe (West African hand drum) drumming workshop, an herbal sensory exploration with Brooklyn Supported Agriculture Community and traditional candle lighting ceremonies and Kwanzaa sing-alongs. The festival runs from Dec. 26 to 30 during museum hours, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily. Visit the museum’s website for admission fees and other information.

Kofi Osei Williams, Executive Director of Asase Yaa Cultural Arts Foundation, said, “Each year, we have the opportunity to share our traditions with new generations and remind families that the principles of Kwanzaa are not just seasonal, but a way of life.”

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