On the third day of Kwanzaa, you’ll celebrate its third principle. It’s meant to build on what you have explored and pledged so far. Therefore, it will be important to remember what you’ve learned and discussed in the previous days.
Day 3 of Kwanzaa: Ujima
The definition of Ujima is collective work and responsibility. When considering this principle, you’ll be focused on how everyone can work together to build the community around them in the pursuit of a common interest.
This common interest can be as small as rebuilding a family home or putting a working infrastructure in place within the neighborhood. In many cases, this translates into fixing broken elements at home or establishing a community center that will be helpful to everyone in the vicinity.
In fact, many people take a pledge to “build and maintain our community together and make our brothers and sister’s problems our problems and solve them together.”
As this pledge suggests, Ujima isn’t only about celebrating communal successes but also accepting that you’ll share the burden of those failures as well. The point is that everyone will work together to learn from mistakes and build a stronger community.
It’s important to note that while you may start these projects on the third day of Kwanzaa, they don’t have to stop there. In the spirit of collective work and responsibility, you can make long-term plans to further benefit those around you.
Some examples include starting a program where the younger people in the community help seniors – especially in typically hard times such as winter and getting prepared for a hurricane. You can also think about putting a scholarship program in place or establishing a local food bank. All that matters is that your plan adds to the growth of everyone.
Day 3 of Kwanzaa is celebrated on December 28th.
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How To Celebrate Ujima
To start the festivities, the leader asks “Habari gani?” or “What’s happening?” of those who are in attendance. Since it’s the third day, the answer will be Ujima to indicate that the time will be spent