Customer Reviews

Merry Christmas, Baby: A Christmas and Kwanzaa Treasury

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Holiday remembrances that will make you laugh, sigh and cry and recall your own special holiday experiences. A fine must have collection

The authors (who celebrate BOTH Christmas and Kwanzaa) write in the Introduction to this 1996 book, "It is possible for us all to restore the meaning of these sacred holidays to our lives. We hope that the words and images in 'Merry Christmas, Baby' become your family's guide to recapturing the historical sweep and range of feelings that make up the African American experience of Christmas and Kwanzaa... Our own Christmas/Kwanzaa celebrations have been inclusive affairs. The highlight of one season was our Imani brunch, to which in addition to the pot-luck dishes our friends contributed, they brought their personal stories of triumph over adversity, their poems, prayers, and affirmations for faith, hope, and forgiveness. Their love that day blended with the symbols of the season---the Christmas tree decorated with black angels and golden ribbon, a kinara fashioned from our collection of new and heirloom candle-holders, some of the recipes from chefs in this book---in one of the most beautiful holiday celebrations we've ever had."

The book contains a fascinating collection of writings from a very wide selection of writers, including Howard Thurman; W.E.B. DuBois; Angelina Weld Grimke; Pearl Cleage; Martin Luther King Jr.; Langston Hughes; Nikki Giovanni, and many others.

Here is an interesting excerpt from the book:

"Kwanzaa," he repeated somewhat blankly, then frowned at her. "You believe in that? ... I want to know why you believe in it, Olivia. It's just a made-up holiday."
"So are most of the other ones we observe during the year. They all started from some idea, some belief that made people want to remember and honor them year after year. Kwanzaa is one of the most harmless holidays. You're not glorifying any one person. You're not interfering with anyone's religion. Kwanzaa is just a ... celebration of each other. Of you and me. Of black folks."