I grew up celebrating Christmas and I’m familiar with Hanukkah.  I have cousins who are Jewish and my family and I participated in a number of Hanukkah celebrations.  Today is the beginning of Kwanzaa, a holiday I know very little about, so I decided it’s time for me to learn about it.

Kwanzaa is a seven-day celebration observed from the 26th of December to the 1st of January.  It was started by Dr. Maulana Karenga in 1966 to celebrate and honor African heritage in African-American culture.  It has its roots in the black nationalist movement of the 1960s.  The name Kwanzaa comes from the Swahili phrase matunda ya kwanza, meaning “first fruits of the harvest.”  The colors of Kwanzaa are black, representing the color of the people; green, representing the hope for the future; and red, representing the blood shed in the struggle for freedom.

The Seven Principles of Kwanzaa

Kwanzaa celebrates the seven principles of Kwanzaa or Nguzo Saba.  There seven principles comprise Kawaida, a Swahili word meaning “common”.  Each of the seven days is dedicated to one of these principles:

• Umoja (Unity): To strive for and to maintain unity in the family, community, nation, and race.
• Kujichagulia (Self-Determination): To define and name ourselves, as well as to create and speak for ourselves.
• Ujima (Collective Work and Responsibility): To build and maintain our community together and make our brothers’ and sisters’ problems our problems and to solve them together.
• Ujamaa (Cooperative Economics): To build and maintain our own stores, shops and other businesses and to profit from them together.
• Nia (Purpose): To make our collective vocation the building and developing of our community in order to restore our people to their traditional greatness.
• Kuumba (Creativity): To do always as much as we can, in the way we can, in order to leave our community more beautiful and beneficial than we inherited it.
• Imani (Faith): To believe with all our hearts in our people, our parents, our teachers, our leaders, and the righteousness and victory of our struggle.

The Seven Symbols of Kwanzaa

The celebratory symbols of Kwanzaa include a mat (Mkeka) on which other symbols are placed:  a Kinara (candle holder), Mishumaa Saba (seven candles), mazao (crops), Muhindi (corn), a Kikombe cha Umoja (unity cup) for commemorating and giving shukrani (thanks) to African Ancestors and Zawaki (gifts).

Families celebrating Kwanzaa decorate their homes with objects of art, colorful African cloth such as kente, especially the wearing of kaftans by women, and fresh fruits that represent African idealism.  A Kwanzaa ceremony may include drumming and musical selections, a discussion of the principle of the day, lighting a candle in the Kinara, story telling and poetry.  On the sixth night, the 31st of December, of Kwanzaa there is a big feast called Karamu and on the seventh day, the 1st of January, gifts are given.  Gifts are usually homemade and encourage growth, self-determination, achievement and success.

To those of you who celebrate this holiday I wish you and your family a very Happy Kwanzaa.

The post Happy Kwanzaa, Understanding the Seven Principles and Traditions appeared first on VirtuArte.

Step #1 — Make a list of all the people you are thinking about giving a gift to.

Did you create your Holiday gift list?

Step #2 — Prioritize the names on your list with a 1, 2 or 3 — P, M or U.

Did you prioritize the names on your list?

Step #3 — Answer the questions listed for each person on your list.

Did you answer the questions I gave for each person?

If you haven’t I would recommend you spend some time completing these three steps before you go to the mall or start looking online.  If you don’t know whom you are shopping for or what you are looking for, you will end up wasting a lot of time, not accomplishing very much, and feeling stressed because you haven’t bought anything yet.

Step #4 in the process of becoming a more intentional Holiday gift giver is to decide, before you start shopping, what you are going to give each person on your list.  You’ve written down information about each person by answering the questions.  Spend some time thinking about what you can give, narrow down your gift choices for each person before you leave your house or “google” Amazon.com.

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For example one person on your list likes to cook.  Possible gifts for this person could be a new cookbook, the latest kitchen gadget, a set of cutting knives or a cooking class.  You’ve decided on the latest kitchen gadget and/or cookbook.  Next to that person’s name write those items down.  Now you know to get the cookbook you can go onto Amazon.com.  For the latest kitchen gadget you can go onto Amazon.com, Williams-Sonoma.com or go to a Williams Sonoma store.

If you take the time to do this, it will make the actual purchasing of the gifts so much easier and take less time.  You will be focused, know exactly what you are looking for and where you need to go to purchase the item instead of wondering around the mall or surfing the internet trying to figure out what you are going to purchase.  Before you know it you will be marking off the last name/gift on your list and who knows, you might even enjoy the shopping experience.

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Now you’ve finished purchasing your gifts, however you are only half way through the intentional gift giving process.  Next I will talk about how to create a gift giving experience for each of your recipients.

The post Holiday Gift Shopping — Focused or Scattershot? appeared first on VirtuArte.

When you think about taking a hostess gift what is the first thing that comes to your mind?  Wine, candy or flowers?  All of these items are fine.  However, you give a gift to show how much you appreciate the relationship you have with this person(s).  Wine, candy or any other type of food is a very common gift considered by some as a “I can’t think of anything else or I don’t have time to get something else so I will take a bottle of wine, box of candy, etc.”  If you are going to a party these items will be put with all the other bottles of wine or boxes of candy that were brought to the hostess.  Unless you put a card identifying you as the giver of a specific item, the hostess will forget who gave her what and the meaning of the gift will be lost.

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Flowers are a more unique gift.  Every time the hostess looks at them she will remember you gave them to her, one of the criteria of a great gift, but the flowers don’t last.  Seven to ten days later the flowers will be thrown out and forgotten.

This Holiday season why don’t you give your hostess(s) a unique gift that she can either use or display in her home long after the event.  Every time she uses the item or walks by it she will be reminded of you and the occasion you gave the gift to her.  Another benefit of giving a unique gift is when someone asks her about it she can tell the person about you and your relationship.

Here are some suggestions for your next hostess gift.

Ceramic Spoon Rest from South Africa — TPA-1003a

Steel Drum Candleholders from Haiti — BBH-1008

Hand-painted Candles from South Africa — TK-

Hand-painted Coasters from Brazil — KP-1003

One last tip for your Holiday hostess gift, create a gifting experience.  Nothing can ruin a gift more than giving a badly wrapped gift.  Presentation matters, it’s the box, the paper and a handwritten note.  This is how your gift will create lasting memories for your hostess.

The post Hostess Gifts – Give Something Unique appeared first on VirtuArte.

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Make A List

I want you to start today.  The first step to becoming an intentional gift giver is to make a list of all the people you are thinking about giving a gift to.  Make it all-inclusive:  family, friends, business associates, clients, employees, the mail person, the garage attendant, teachers, etc.  Now you may not give everyone on this list a gift, but what I want you to avoid is remembering at the last minute that one person you wanted to give a gift to and completely forgot about until you are going to have lunch with them or you’re invited over to their home for a Holiday event.  This is what creates stress.

Now that you’ve created your list, divide it into groups.  One way to divide it up is Family, Friends, and Professional/Business.  Or you may want to keep your personal and professional recipients separate, so one list could be Personal:  Family, Friends and Others; and the other list could be Business:  Clients/Customers, Business Associates, Employees and Others.

Copyright : Ed Sweetman

 Prioritize The Names

The next step is prioritize the people on your list.  Go through the list and mark the names of the people you know for certain you well be giving a gift to.  Put a 1 or a P for priority by their names.  Review the list again and mark the names of those who are a possibility with either a 2 or M for maybe.  Go through the list one more time and mark the names of those who you are not sure whether you will give them a gift or not with a 3 or U for unsure.  Every name on your list should now have a number or letter by their name, thereby prioritizing your gift giving.

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Answer These Questions

This next step in the process is going to take some time.  However, if you do this step it will make your Holiday gift shopping so much easier.  For each person on the list, start with the 1s or Ps answer these questions:

Do you want to give this person a personal gift, i.e. jewelry, or a gift that can be used in the home or the office?

If you decide on a personal gift answer the following questions:

Does the person wear jewelry?

• If yes, do they wear statement pieces or fine minimalist pieces?
• Do they wear —
  • Necklaces
  • Earrings
    • Do they have pierced ears?
  • Bracelets
  • Gold or silver?
• Do they wear scarves?
• Do they wear shawls?
• What are their favorite colors?

Features

• What is their hair color?
• What is the color of their eyes?
• What is their skin tone?
  • Light, tan easily, etc.

If you decide on a home or office gift answer these questions:

• What are their interests or hobbies?
• Do they like …
  • The movies?
  • Music?
  • To read?
  • To cook?
  • To garden?
  • To travel?
    • Have they been somewhere recently?
  • Other?
• Are they a wine drinker?

What is your price point?

If you don’t know the answers to these questions then you need to start paying attention.  The foundation of intentional gift giving is to master the arte of paying attention.  Look around.  You can pick up clues about the things people hold as important, the things they enjoy and the things they care about.  Listen.  Friends and loved ones often speak of their dreams, hopes and interests.  People constantly share unexpected hints about their likes and dislikes.

After you’ve gathered this information on each recipient you will be ready for the next step in the intentional gift giving process.

The post Making A List And Checking It Twice appeared first on VirtuArte.

What happened with your Holiday gift shopping last year?  Did you wait to the last minute and then just buy everyone on your list gift cards?  Or did you wait to the last minute, to to the mall and buy the first thing you saw?  Or did you give a practical gift when a personal gift was more appropriate?  And then, were you surprised when the recipient was not excited about the gifts you gave them?

You can have a great time or you can have a miserable time doing your Holiday gift shopping.  It’s all about how you think about your gift giving.  So here’s a question for you.  Why are you giving gifts?  Is it because you want to honor the relationship you have with that person?  Do you want to show them how much you appreciate them?  Or are you giving a gift out of a sense of obligation?  And you know what, the gift you give tells the recipient exactly how you feel about giving them a gift.

What do I mean by this?  Here are a few examples:

A Gift Card —

Most people think this is the perfect gift.  The thought being the recipient gets to pick out exactly what they want.  The message being sent is I don’t care enough about our relationship to take the time to select a meaningful gift.

A Practical Gift —

The husband knows they need a new vacuum cleaner, so for Christmas he gives his wife the vacuum cleaner.  The message being sent is I didn’t take the time to think about what would be a meaningful gift to you.

A “Me” Gift —

A boyfriend loves to hike so he give his girlfriend a new backpack for Christmas even though she doesn’t enjoy hiking.  The message being sent is this gift is all about me.

An Intentional Gift —

A beautiful blue scarf is selected to give to a friend.  The gift giver knows the friend loves scarves and her favorite color is blue.  The message being sent is I care enough about this relationship to pay attention to what you wear and the colors you like.

Let VirtuArte help you become a more intentional gift giver this Holiday Season.  If you do, I can guarantee two things will happen.  First, you will have more fun with your Holiday gift shopping.  Secondly, you will get a more positive reaction to your gifts from your recipients.

In the next blog post I will begin taking you through the process of becoming an intentional gift giver.

The post This Holiday Season Give Intentionally appeared first on VirtuArte.

People from all over the globe will soon stream into Brazil for the summer Olympics.  As we look toward Rio, I’m remembering my own many trips to Brazil.  I’ve loved experiencing the country’s mix of cultures and adding examples of Brazilian multicultural artistry to the VirtuArte collection.

European and African Heritage

Portuguese colonists arrived in Brazil centuries ago, and their imprint is still visible.  The national language is Portuguese, and Catholicism imported from Portugal is still widely practiced.  Central Brazilian cityscapes with narrow streets and Baroque churches recall styles in Portuguese cities.

Africans came to Brazil when Portuguese landowners brought them as slaves to work on sugar and cotton farms.  Brazil’s famous samba rhythm of music and dance evolved from these Africans’ musical and religious roots.  Brazil’s national dish, fejioada, originated as a slave’s meal — as stew of beans and meats served with rice and condiments.

After slavery ended in Brazil, immigration from Western European countries increased.  In southern Brazil, Germans brought their native architecture to churches and houses, and the German Oktoberfest has joined other celebrations in Brazil’s party-loving culture.

Carnival

Brazil’s most spectacular annual party is Carnival.  Before Lent, Brazilians give themselves over to four days of singing, dancing and costumed revelry in the city streets, day and night.

At this pulsating celebration, Rio’s many samba schools, or local cultural clubs, compete to put on the best parade.  They work all year to prepare for and rehearse these parades, each telling a story through music, lyrics dance, elaborate costumes and floats.

Two Sips of Brazil

In Brazil, one of the world’s top coffee producers, socializing over coffee is part of the culture.  Many Brazilians take a break during the day for a cafezhino, a strong, black brew served in small cups with lots of sugar.

The national cocktail of Brazil is the caipirinha (kee-purr-Reen-yah), a blend of Brazilian rum, sugar and fresh lime juice ofter served at Carnival.  The rum is the sweetest kind available, flavored by sugar cane juice rather than molasses.

Brazilian Artwork

The VirtuArte collection represents the various cultures, crafts and materials of Brazil.  We offer jewelry combining alpaca silver and semi-precious stones native to Brazil.

Other jewelry and baskets are woven from a rare plant called golden grass found in northern Brazil.  This grass with its natural metallic sheen is sustainably harvested once a year, providing important income to local villagers.

African patterns have influenced our colorful, handprinted wooden coasters and boxes.  The craft of glassblowing brought to Brazil from the Italian island of Murano provides our elegant vases and candle holders.

Brazilians are known for their wild passions for soccer and partying, but take a look at Brazilian handiwork, too.  You’ll find vibrant designs that make incomparable gifts.

The post The Multicultural Artistry of Brazil appeared first on VirtuArte.

But giving and receiving wedding gifts can be a whole different experience.

Well-chosen surprises

Looking beyond a registry, you free yourself to surprise the couple with something for their home that stands out for being unusual, beautiful and well matched to their tastes and interests.

A gift approached this way evokes wedding memories each time it is used and recalls warm feelings about your unique relationship with the couple.

We specialize in helping you select just the right gift.  We’ll ask you questions such as:

• What kind of gift you would like to give? Allow some time to consider this.  When you rush a gift at the last moment, you may lose the personal touch you’re aiming for.
• What are the bride and groom’s favorite hobbies or leisure activities?
• What anecdotes or memories do you have of the couple?
• Where are they interested in traveling?
• What would have meaning for them? Set aside what is meaningful for you and focus on what will make an impression on them.

Handcrafted pieces for the home

Some of VirtuArte’s handcrafted pieces are purely decorative, others are practical.  All reflect-established traditional skills from the developing world adapted to today’s uses.

Salad servers from South Africa

These salad servers from South Africa echo the area’s concept of Ubuntu, or sharing food as a symbol of our common human bond.  The set in copper, brass and stainless steel suggests textile designs from women’s clothing in the African Ndlebele tribe.

Reverse painted glass picture frame from Peru

Reverse painted glass has become a traditional Peruvian craft, though it evolved from skills first brought to Peru by 16th century Spaniards.  This picture frame adds elegance to any room.

Jordanian stoneware serving bowl

Patterns on this Jordanian serving bowl are influenced by art from the Bronze Age, Islamic and regional motifs of the Mamluk period and minimalist modern designs.

Our collection also includes vases, serving plates, coasters and decorative objects.

Gifts that touch the heart

We’ve often heard heartwarming stories of how touched and delighted people have been to receive these thoughtfully chosen, handcrafted pieces.  We would love to help you give the special people in your life a truly personal gift.

The post Beyond The Bridal Registry appeared first on VirtuArte.