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One of the seven day Kwanzaa holiday involves the singing of Kwanzaa music on the Kwanzaa feast. Singing or playing of Kwanzaa music is a way to commemorate the Kwanzaa holiday. The Kwanzaa music covers everything from the informative lyrics on the history and origin of Kwanzaa holiday to the educative sing-along lines in African languages. There are lots of sing-along Kwanzaa music for children and adults.

Kwanzaa music are composed by both African and non-African artiste. Most Kwanzaa songs, are played with the use of African instruments like the talking drums and rattles. Here are some interesting Kwanzaa songs and music.

Kwanzaa Theme Song

Chorus
Kwanzaa, Kwanzaa, Kwanzaa, Kwanzaa
Kwanzaa, Kwanzaa, Kwanzaa, Kwanzaa
Kwanzaa, Kwanzaa, Kwanzaa, Kwanzaa
Kwanzaa, Kwanzaa, Kwanzaa, Kwanzaa
This is a song about Kwanzaa (Kwanzaa)
This is a song about Kwanzaa (Kwanzaa)
This is a song about Kwanzaa (Kwanzaa)
This is a song about Kwanzaa (Kwanzaa)

Verse 1
This is a message for everybody
You, your bredren, your sistren and your family
The word Kwanzaa means First Fruits in Kiswahili
It’s a special time for you and for me
It’s from December 26th to the first of January
But we have to live it out daily-lee-lee-lee (Everyday)
A time to reaffirm our values and our identity
And fight the negative results of slavery
It’s start was 1966 by Maulana Karenga
I tell you that ya man he is a professor
He teaches Black studies inna California
The roots of Kwanzaa come from Afrika
We the Afrikans living in the diaspora
We pull upon this energy so we can prosper
That’s the Seven Principles called the Nguzo Saba

Principle number 1 - UMOJA
Principle number 2 - KUJICHAGULIA
Principle number 3 - UJIMA
Principle number 4 - UJAMAA
Principle number 5 - That’s the one NIA
Principle number 6 - KUUMBA
And number 7 you see, is called IMANI

Chorus
Kwanzaa, Kwanzaa, Kwanzaa, Kwanzaa
Kwanzaa, Kwanzaa, Kwanzaa, Kwanzaa
Kwanzaa, Kwanzaa, Kwanzaa, Kwanzaa
Kwanzaa, Kwanzaa, Kwanzaa, Kwanzaa
You know that Kwanzaa (Kwanzaa)
Is for the people (People)
So let us tell you (Tell you)
About the symbols (Symbols)

(Repeat)
The place mat is the MKEKA
The candle holder is the KINARA
The 7 candles, the MISHUMAA SABA
The Unity cup, KIKOMOBE CHA UMOJA
The gifts that that we give are the ZAWADI
The corn is the children, it’s the MUHINDI
The fruits and veggies are the MAZAO
The BENDERA YA TAIFA are the colors that flow
Before the 7 days of celebration are through
We all have a feast called the KARAMU

Chorus
Kwanzaa, Kwanzaa, Kwanzaa, Kwanzaa
Kwanzaa, Kwanzaa, Kwanzaa, Kwanzaa
Kwanzaa, Kwanzaa, Kwanzaa, Kwanzaa
Kwanzaa, Kwanzaa, Kwanzaa, Kwanzaa
(Repeat)

by Okera Ras I. Copyright 1994

It’s the holiday seasons again. Hanukkah celebration, Christmas and Kwanzaa, then coms the New year.

Hanukkah is a Jewish holiday celebrated for eight nights and days.  It begins on the 25th of Kislev on the Hebrew calendar and ends on the 2nd or 3rd Tevet(which is November - December on the Gregorian calendar)
Hanukkah poems can be in these poetic forms:Couplet, Acrostic,  Ballade, Cinquain, Alphabet and Ballad

For those of you interested in original hanukkah poems, here are some excerpts from the poems and links to where you can get the full copies.

1. Careful When You Light the Chanukah Candles by Ludwig Senfl

Careful when you light the Chanukah candles!
Have some water nearby just in case
A candle teeters at some crazy angle,
Not having been quite twisted into place.
Unexpected things can sometimes happen…

2.  Candles Dance on Their Menorah by Charles Henri Valentin Alkan

Candles dance on their menorah,
Happy to be burning bright!
All the children dance the hora,
Nimbly leaping with delight!
Understand the miracle…

3.  Chanukah Itself’s the Miracle by Dimitri Shostakovich

Chanukah itself’s the miracle:
How could we remember all those years,
Aliens lost upon a shoreless sea,
Not only scattered–battered, shattered, tattered,
Unwelcome guests of hosts unmerciful,…

Excerpts from poemsforfree

The Temperature of a baby is often taken through the armpit , the rectum, the ear or the mouth. But most doctors do not recommend taking an infant’s temperature through the mouth until the child is up to four years of age, because putting a thermometer into an infant’s mouth is dangerous.

These are the common methods of taking an infants temperature ;

• The armpit/underarm(axillary) method - here the infant’s temperature is taken using a digital or oral thermometer . Take off the baby’s shirt and Dry armpit with a towel, place the tip of the thermometer in the upper part of the armpit and hold baby’s arm over it, gently pressing the elbow against baby’s side. The armpit method is very efficient especially when the baby won’t lie quietly for a rectal reading to be done or when the baby has diarrhea. The normal temperature for this method is 97.6ºF(Fahrenheit).

• The rectal method - the infant’s temperature is taken here using the digital thermometer. Put baby on your laps or on the bed and put a small pillow under his/her hips to raise the bottom for easier insertion of the thermometer. With one hand ,spread the baby’s buttocks, and with your other hand slip the tip of the thermometer into the rectum or rectal opening(anus). Keep the thermometer in place by using your other fingers to press the buttocks together. The thermometer should be prepared before usage, by lubricating the sensor tip with a lubricant like olive oil or Vaseline . The rectal method of taking an infants temperature is the most accurate because it picks up the temperatures from the core of the body. The normal temperature for this method is 99.6ºF.

• The oral method - this method is done using the pacifier thermometer, since the oral thermometer cannot be used for the baby until he/she is four years of age or more. The pacifier thermometer is shaped like a pacifier and therefore inserted into the baby’s mouth to take a reading. It takes about four minutes to get a reading ,which usually reads between 0.3ºF and 0.5ºF lower than the rectal thermometer. With a squirming and non-cooperative baby this method will be really difficult. The normal temperature for the oral method is 98.6ºF.

• The tympanic (ear)method - is solely used for taking an infant’s temperature through the ear. The thermometer used here is called the Tympanic thermometer ,which is quite expensive and difficult to use. It is mostly used by paediatricians ,and you can get your readings in seconds but it is not as reliable as the rectal method of taking an infants temperature. Experts advice withholding the use of this method until a baby is over three months old.

Before proceeding with any of the methods of taking an infant’s temperature , it is advisable to keep the baby calm for at least half an hour before taking the temperature , because crying and anxiety in the baby can elevate the temperature reading. Also avoid giving the baby any food prior to the time you would be taking an oral temperature reading,so as not to alter the readings.

The thermometer should be washed with cool soapy water and properly rinsed after use. The sensor tip should be swabbed with alcohol.