From December 26 through January 1, African-Americans celebrate Kwanzaa, a holiday inspired by the centuries-old harvest festivals observed in Africa. It is a time to gather family, in lieu of crops, and celebrate unity, self-determination, responsibility, cooperation, purpose, creativity and faith.
A popular Kwanzaa decoration is the "mkeka," a woven straw place mat that symbolizes tradition. We used felt and ribbon to weave our holiday runner. In fact, it's become such a tabletop hit, we may turn it into a permanent fixture.