Do you know the origin and customs of Kwanzaa?

This African American holiday celebrates black heritage and lasts for seven days — from December 26 through January 1.

Maulana Karenga introduced Kwanzaa to America in 1966

In Swahili, Kwanzaa means “first fruits of the harvest.”

During the holiday, families share simple meals of foods from the Caribbean, Africa, South America and the American South.

Specific foods have special meanings.

For instance, certain fruits and vegetables represent the products of group effort.

Another important symbol is corn, which stands for children.

At each dinner, celebrants light a black, red or green candle and discuss one of the seven principles of Kwanzaa.

These seven principles are unity, self-dtermination, collective work and responsibility, cooperative economics, purpose creativity and faith.

SEA SNAKES

The most poisonous snake in the world is not the coral snake or the death adder; it is the sea snake. Marine scientists estimate that the venom of a sea snake is fifty times more powerful than that of the king cobra. Sea snakes, however, do not always inject venom when they bite. Nobody is quite sure why this is so. The poison is slow to take effect, but when it does, it will be fatal about 25% of the time. Fishermen are the most likely to become victims, either by stepping on or handling a snake carelessly.